Our Ninja Way
by Just Retribution
Summary: During the battle with Pain, Naruto hears Hinata's confession. Now, with the upcoming war looming he must decide if love will make him stronger, or lead to his downfall. But war isn't the only problem as his home becomes threatened by one of its' oldest clans. New alliances will have to be forged and an old family reunited if the Hidden Leaf is to survive. seal-savy/mature/Naruto
1. Past Memories

**This is my first story on this site so please let me know what you think. There is always room for improvement. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other characters, if I did then I wouldn't be writing this story. All honor goes to Masashi Kishimoto.**

_Thoughts are Italicized_

**Kyuubi speaking is in Bold**

_**Kyubbi's thoughts**_

**Chapter 1: Past Memories**

The blue sky was the only thing anchoring him to the world. The faint sound of hammers on wood and the smell of fresh dirt slowly calming him down. A soft breeze blew through the air pushing lazy puffs of white clouds through the sky and slightly ruffling his blonde hair.

Naruto had a lot on his mind. Laying there on a huge pile of lumber on the far outskirts of town he tried to make sense of what had happened in the last few days. The Hidden Leaf Village had been attacked by the leader of the Akatsuki. Upon arriving Naruto found the entire village destroyed along with almost all of the citizens. Immediately entering the fight Naruto had tried to dispose of the six Pains as quickly as he could before his sage mode ran out. After battling and destroying five out of the six Pains he had been pinned to the ground with black chakra rods and trapped.

Lifting his hand and looking at it, there were still red marks from where his hands had been pierced. Surprisingly, they were still sore. Setting his hand back down he stared back up at the sky watching a white cloud lazily float by. He closed his eyes as he began to think.

"_That's when it happened…that's when she came."_

Flashback

"You say my peace is a lie." Pain said looking down on him, "But in this cursed world, a peace where people truly understand each other is a fantasy."

Looking up he yelled, "Ero-sennin believed the day would come when people would truly understand each other." Gritting his teeth he finished, "YOU'RE WRONG!"

"All you do is talk." Pain said as he drew a black chakra rod from his sleeve. "What can you do when you can't even prove anything? All you can do is give me the nine-tailed fox's power. I told you, your death will lead to peace."

He yelled out in agony as Pain pierced his body with more and more black rods, Pain's chakra flowing through his body immobilizing him. The pain from the puncture wounds arched back and forth between the rods causing flashes of light before his eyes. Breathing heavily, he tried to focus so he wouldn't pass out from the intense burning pain.

"Don't worry the wounds aren't that deep and they're around your vital organs," he explained. "But now you can't move on your own."

"HANG IN THERE KID!"

Startled he turned his head to see Shima, granny toad, yelling at him.

"Don't listen to him no matter what he says! You're the child of prophecy! You will save the world! You can't lose! Jiraiya and Pa gave their lives because they believed in you! I'll never forgive you if you give in now! Y-"

The rest of what she said was cut off as her body rocketed backwards from a Pain's Almighty Push. Her body skidded across the dirt and rocks leaving a trail of dust in her path.

"What a noisy frog," Pain muttered.

"You BASTARD!" he screamed.

"It doesn't matter now," Pain said turning to him, "it's time for us to go."

Pain raised his palm to Naruto and a strange humming noise began to emit from his hand. Suddenly there was the sound of rapid approaching footsteps followed by a cry. Pain jerked his body out of the way as a huge explosion took place where his body had once been, raining debris down on Naruto. As the smoke cleared the body of a woman slowly came into focus in front of him until he could finally make out who it was.

"I won't let you lay another finger on Naruto!" Hinata yelled with a bold steady voice.

Pain tilted his head before replying, "Reinforcements eh?"

"What are you doing here?" Naruto yelled. Panic set in as he tried to move his body; he couldn't stand to watch one of his 'precious people' be hurt right in front of him. "Get out of here! You're no match-"

"-I know," replied Hinata quietly, cutting him off.

Shocked, he didn't know what to say. All he could do was stare at the girl between him and Pain.

"I'm…just being selfish…" Hinata continued.

"What are you talking about? What are you doing here? It's too dangerous!" He cried out. Fear began to set in now as he knew he would be powerless to protect her. He cared for her; she was probably only one of the very few people that were always there for him.

"…I'm here on my own free will." Hinata replied her voice wavering as she spoke. "I used to always cry and give up… I nearly went the wrong way…" She was now choking back tears as she forced herself to speak. "But you…You showed me the right way."

Unable to speak, Naruto lay there in silence as he listened to her continue. Curious as to what she had to say.

"I was always chasing you…wanting to overtake you." She continued, her voice now growing more confident as she spoke. "… I just wanted to walk with you…To be with you. You changed me! You're smile saved me! So I'm not afraid of dying to protect you. Because I-" Hinata hesitated. "Because I love you, Naruto."

With a smile Hinata pushed off the ground and rapidly closed the gap between her and Pain. Her face now stoic and full of determination she formed her chakra into the Twin Lion Gentle Fist technique and attacked with all she had. Striking and moving Hinata flowed through her attack effortlessly swinging and pivoting constantly looking for an opening. The air around them began to vibrate with the energy the two were giving off. Soon the very rocks began to shudder and lift into the air, circling around them. The two twirled and jumped together, shifting back and forth, to and fro in beautiful but deadly dance of death. The fight continued for a few moments longer when she finally saw her opening. She had thrown a left palm strike directed at Pain's head but he blocked it. However in the process of doing so he stumbled backwards, seeing the drop in his guard she moved in to finish him with a double palm strike to his chest. Inches away she could feel the victory.

"Shinra Tensei."

The blast knocked Hinata back with such power that her bones snap under the extreme force. Screaming as pain shot through her body, every nerve ending cried in agony at her as fiery pain coursed up and down her body. Rolling several yards back, she landed with an unforgiving thud. Slowly opening her eyes she struggled to focus on Naruto's shocked and helpless face.

"N-Naruto-kun…" was all she managed to get out in a labored breath. Giving into the pain she succumbed to the darkness.

"It was just like this," Pain said as he walked over to Hinata's body while drawing out a black rod, "when my parents were killed right in front of me by Konoha ninjas." With that, Pain plunged the rod through Hinata's chest.

"HINATA!" Naruto's mind went numb. His whole world began to slow until it stood still, fixated on the blood that pooled out from Hinata's body.

"Love breeds sacrifice, which in turn breeds hate." Pain said as he watched him. "Now you can know the true meaning of pain."

Naruto felt his mind slipping into darkness. Just as the blood puddle grew so did his hatred inside him. "**Let me out boy, I'll show him the true meaning of pain. He has just killed one of your 'precious people' right in front of you. Give me your soul and I'll rip his body to shreds. I'll make sure he doesn't touch another one of your 'people' again. Give me your soul and I'll end all of your pain. Let me out boy. LET ME OUT!"**

End Flashback

Naruto's eyes snapped open; the sun was setting causing hues of orange and red to flow across the sky. "_Almost like…blood_," he thought. He shivered still unable to shake that memory. He knew he shouldn't have let the Kyuubi out. He knew that he should have found another way to defeat Pain. "**But you did boy, and I would have taken your body too if it wasn't for your damned father." **

Sighing and slightly irritated he spoke out loud, "Aw shut the hell up. You make my life a living hell as it is; can't you just leave me alone?"

"I-I d-d-didn't kn-know I w-was s-s-such an inconvenience…"

Not expecting that kind of response Naruto snapped his head around to see Hinata standing there looking down, blushing, and unshed tears in her eyes. "**Nice one baka! Let's hurt the most innocent and fragile creature in the world. Even I'm not **_**that **_**cruel." **_"Shut up!"_ he yelled in his head._ "This is your fault!"_Quieter than before Kyuubi replied, "**You know one of these days kit you're gonna have to stop blaming me for everything." **Surprised by the sudden tone change in the fox's voice he didn't have time to respond before he felt the fox leave his conscious and go back to his cell.

Hinata was still looking at the ground when she realized Naruto was just staring at her. She noticed that he hadn't responded to her last statement and it only made her feel even more inferior. "_He hates me."_ She thought._ "He absolutely hates me. He's just staring at me like I'm a worthless piece of trash."_ She could feel her heart start to race and her vision begin to blur, partly because she was hyperventilating and the other part because she had tears in her eyes.

Noticing that nothing had been said in almost a full minute and that Hinata looked as if she was about to cry Naruto felt a pang of guilt shoot through him. "Hinata." He said just to break the silence. She looked up eyes still watery. He pushed off the edge of the lumber pile as he spoke, "Look, I wasn't-" The rest was cut off as he landed with a crumple and a loud "Oomph!" Pain shot through his body, starting in his shin and jumping up through his leg. Disoriented all he could do was groan as he tried to get his bearings.

Hinata, without missing a beat, raced over and helped him up.

"A-Are you o-okay Naruto-kun?" The concern was evident in her voice.

"Y-Yeah," he groaned again wincing in pain, "I still haven't completely recovered from the fight with Pain. It's weird, these wounds where the chakra rods entered my body are taking longer to heal." Then looking at her he quickly added, "And look, about what I said earlier. I wasn't talking to you…I was talking to, uh…myself."

"I-I kn-knew that al-already." Hinata blushed looking away.

"You did?" Shocked, he turned to look at her. "Wait, which part?"

"Th-that you w-were h-h-having t-trouble h-healing." She replied quietly looking down and playing with her index fingers. "Th-that's why I-I'm here. Th-the doctors at the h-hospital s-said you w-were in pain s-still. I f-figured I c-could take a look a-at you and s-see if one of m-my ointments w-would w-w-work." "C_ome on!" _She berated herself._ "I just announced my love to him a few days ago and I can't even look him in the eyes! Why?_ Looking up she saw the shock in his eyes as he realized that someone cared that much for him turn into appreciation as he smiled. "_That's why. He g-genuinely c-cares about w-what I s-say. Oh great, now I'm stuttering in here!" _Looking quickly down she could feel the crimson burn starting to creep across her face.

Feeling suddenly excited Naruto grabbed one of her hands in his and used the other to bring her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Hinata, do you really have something that can speed up my recovery?"

"I-I th-think I h-have one th-that w-w-will work," she quietly whispered. "_Oh god, he's touching my face! His lips are so close to mine!"_ Her head began to swim as she stared longingly at his lips.

Laughing out loud and flashing his trademark grin he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "You're the best Hinata!"

Being so close to Naruto, Hinata could feel his warmth radiating from his body. Her head right in the crook of his strong neck and pressed up against his muscular chest she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. She also didn't want it to end. She wanted it to stay just as it was for the rest of their lives. Hinata's world was perfect, that is until he gave her a squeeze.

Suddenly there was a quiet squeak and she passed out in his arms. Alarmed, Naruto caught her and laid her down on the ground carefully. Calling her name and seeing that he was getting no response sudden flashes of her broken bloody body began flood his mind. Feeling weak in the knees his hands began to shake as he became paralyzed with fear. Trying to steady his breathing he shook his head to try and clear the images. "_It's okay she's fine." _He assured himself._ "Just focus. I need to get her looked at."_ Finding strength again, he scooped Hinata up and carefully situated her on his back. Once she was secure he took off as fast as he could towards the hospital.

Kyuubi's interests perked up when he felt a mixture of distress, anxiety, and concern wash through Naruto's emotions. Deciding he wanted to take a look, he pushed his way up to Naruto's conscious mind.

Naruto was running full speed when a loud voice nearly caused him to crash and burn. "**Boy! What's going on? Why the hell are you freaking out?" **_"It's Hinata, she suddenly passed out for no reason when I was talking to her. I'm taking her to the hospital now to get her checked out." _**"What did you do to her?" **Kyuubi asked as he began to reach out to sense the girl's body. _"Nothing!"_ Naruto explained. "_I just gave her a big hug because she said she could help me." _Probing around with his chakra, Kyuubi finally found the problem. **"Fucking baka! Set her down, NOW!"** Normally Naruto wouldn't listen to the kyuubi, but for some reason he felt he should this time. Sliding to a stop, he set her down quickly but gently. _"Kyuubi, what's going on? What's the problem?"_ **"Did it ever cross your thick head that if you were having trouble healing how normal people would recover?"** Speechless, all Naruto could do was shake his head. **"Well guess what? She isn't fairing very well right now thanks to you!"** At this Naruto practically flinched. Looking at the unconscious girl on the ground he felt instant guilt flood him. Tears began to fall down his face and no sooner had he been hit with that emotion was he hit with another emotion. Fear. Fear of losing someone precious to him. Terror gripped him now as he began to shake, tears still falling. Reaching out he brushed the hair out of her face, the color slowly draining from it. **"Baka!"** Hearing this Naruto jumped back to reality. _"What do you want? Why did you make me stop? I should be running still, I can make it to the hospital!" _**"No you can't! You and I both know that you are too far away and at the rate she's fading she won't make it. So shut the hell up and do what I say!"**

Gulping, Naruto nodded his head as kyuubi instructed him to unzip her jacket and place both of his hands on her chest. Hesitantly, he unzipped her jacket but averted his eyes at the last second. **"Oh you're so noble." **The sarcasm dripped from Kyuubi's words. _"Shut up! This is serious!"_ **"That it is boy."** His voice turning gravely serious. Placing his hands on his chest, Naruto could feel the kyuubi's chakra begin to flow down his arms and into Hinata. _"Hey Kyuubi," _he asked,_ "What are you doing?"_** "Damn boy are you that oblivious?" **The blank thoughts were enough of an answer. Sighing he said. **"The girl was pierced with one of those black rods right through the chest. It missed her heart but put a nice sized cut on her pulmonary artery. Whoever healed her wasn't very thorough, more like just a quick fix. If anything this girl should have still been in the hospital recovering instead of out here with you. When you hugged her you squeezed her so hard it caused her artery to rupture again." **

"_Uhhh, pulmon-what?"_

"…**It's a miracle you've made it this far… The point is she was hurt and you made it worse."**

The last part of that comment came out with a sting and Kyuubi could feel Naruto wince as he realized he had caused it. Feeling the guilt once more wash back through Naruto's emotions Kyuubi tried to ignore it.

"_So…is she going to be okay? What are you doing anyways?"_

Sighing kyuubi answered. **"If you would shut up so I can concentrate then, yes she will be. As for your second question it's a type of medical jutsu, except it's far more advanced than you pathetic humans could ever hope for."**

"_No way! So you can heal faster and better than Tsunade obaa-chan?" _

"**A hundred times better boy, I'm can't believe you would even consider me in the same league as that annoying hag. I'm the king of the demons for crying out loud!"**

Naruto was just about to say another snide comment when Hinata distracted him from his thoughts.

"Naruto-kun…" Barely audible, Naruto lowered his head down to hers.

"Hinata, how are you feeling?" The concern clearly evident in his voice. He was worried that she would be mad at him for hurting her.

"Ohhh Naruto…" She moaned, much louder this time.

"Um, Hinata?"

Waking with a start, she saw Naruto over her with a puzzled look on his face. Instantly she began to blush. _"Oh god! Please tell me I didn't say that out loud!"_ Glancing down she saw that her jacket was opened and his hands were placed on her chest. _"And why is my jacket open!"_ Hinata couldn't help but turn a few deeper shades of red. This was not how she imagined things happening, but at the same time she secretly wanted him to keep his hands there. She was about to speak when there was a loud crash from the tree line followed by an angry yell.

"NARUTOOOO! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Both of them turned to see a very angry and very bright pink haired girl charging at them, gloves pulled on and a very deadly intent radiating from her person.

"S-Sakura-chan. W-why do you look s-so evil?" Naruto stuttered out.

"And what do you think you're doing to that poor girl you PERVERT!" Sakura retorted back.

Realizing where his hands were still resting, Naruto quickly pulled his hands away from Hinata's chest, much to her disappointment, and raised them in a defensive manner. **"Well boy I think you've got it from here, I'm gonna take off now."**_ "What? Now? How about a little help?"_** "Ha! I know better than that!"** And with an evil snicker Kyuubi left Naruto to his doom. Now aware of Sakura's close proximity, Naruto tried to plead his case.

"S-Sakura-chan it's not what it looked like I sw-"

Cut off by a devastating right hook, Naruto flew through the air before finding his mark in a nearby tree.

Turning to Hinata she spoke, "Are you okay Hinata? I've been looking for you all day. You should have never left the hospital in your condition."

Lowering her head, Hinata knew she shouldn't have. "I know, but I just wanted to help…him."

Smiling slightly she said, "Look Hinata, we both know Naruto is capable of healing on his own unless its life threatening. I'm sure he is just being a baby about it." However, Sakura knew better than that. "_I know for a fact he isn't though. The damage done from the chakra rods in combination with the kyuubi coming out did a serious number on his body."_ Seeing that Hinata still wasn't convinced she bent down to her level looking her in the eyes. "We need to get you back to the hospital so we can get you checked out and make sure everything is fine inside okay?"

Shaking her head, Hinata shocked Sakura. "No I'm fine," she said quietly. "Actually I feel normal again, all the pain is gone and I feel like I have all my strength back, even more than before to be honest. I would like to just go home now."

Quickly laying Hinata back on the ground Sakura brought her hands to Hinata's chest and began pumping chakra through her hands to see if Hinata was okay. She was shocked when she found that all the damage to Hinata's heart was completely healed and appeared to be one hundred percent okay. Perplexed she lifted her hands and helped Hinata up. Looking at her curiously she had to ask.

"What happened to you? You are completely fine; there's no sign of any damage."

Shrugging her shoulders she quietly spoke, "I don't know what happened. I just remember talking to Naruto-kun when he hugged me and I…passed out. The next thing I knew I could feel this warm powerful heat spreading through my body. When I came to Naruto-kun was over me with his hands on my chest, like he was performing a medical jutsu. But…I thought he didn't know any?"

Both of them now turned their eyes to Naruto who was dragging himself out of the trunk of the tree a bit slower than what he usually did. Finally standing up, he swayed for a moment before muttering, "Why do you have to hit so hard, Sakura-chan?" With that being said, he passed out. Sighing to herself, Sakura went over to pick up his body.

Daylight was waning fast and the once bloody sky was turning to a soft purple color. Because of the events that took place, Hinata didn't notice until now that they had stopped by a pond. Looking out across the scene, it would have been picture perfect for a painting. The soft hues of purple and blue that streaked across the sky were reflected by the glassy surface of the water. Firebugs had come out to play around the lake, bobbing up and down looking for a partner in their dance. Chirping from the crickets and frogs supplied the music as the beauty of the scene absolutely enchanted Hinata. Looking at the sky and then at Naruto, Hinata couldn't help but feel her love for him radiate from her. _"This would have been the perfect place to be alone with him."_

Dragging Naruto's body over to her, Hinata giggled at the sight of Sakura struggling to carry his limp body. Hearing Hinata's obvious amusement, she shot her a look. "You know, this would be easier if you helped me since you're all healed up now and everything."

Blushing and looking down Hinata could only mumble. "Y-you want m-me to help carry N-Naruto-kun?"

Noticing Hinata's obvious discomfort, Sakura could help but amuse herself now. "Yes, some help carrying this baka would be nice." Grinning evilly she decided to take it a step further. "Unless touching Naruto's strong and powerful body is too much for you? Or do you not want to get a feel-" she stopped abruptly as she realized what she was saying. _"That was a little too far. But…he is strong and I can feel his muscles through his shirt..." _Shaking her head she cleared the thoughts from her mind and looked at Hinata. She had no idea why that thought had even crossed her mind. Seeing Hinata blushing furiously as she stared at her fingers, she was relieved that her own blushing had been missed.

Utterly defeated now and her voice failing her, Hinata could only agree to help carry Naruto with a nod. Each of them taking an arm, they began to make their way back to the village. Along the way Hinata couldn't help notice how right Sakura was. She could feel the muscles of his arm around her neck and against her back. Pulling him closer to her body she could feel his muscles underneath his shirt, her other hand on was on his well defined back for support. Subconsciously she began to slide it down to his lower back. Making sure Sakura wasn't paying attention; she slightly tilted her head towards him and took a deep, steady, slow breath. The smells of dirt, sweat, and a slight hint of wood mixed together with his own natural scent flooded her senses causing heat to rush to her face as well as a few other places. Her senses were overwhelmed and she barely noticed that her hand was now slowly inching down further, determined to reach the top of Naruto's well formed tight butt. When she realized what she was doing she yanked her hand away causing herself to trip up in the process. _"Oh my god, I'm such a freak!"_

Sakura, who was lost in thought at this point trying to figure out why she said what she did earlier, came to when she felt the weight slightly shift from Hinata tripping. Looking over she saw Hinata wearing a deep crimson blush and feverishly concentrating on her feet. Sakura was slightly perplexed but her attention was drawn elsewhere as they arrived at the doors to the hospital. Carefully opening the door they walked in, greeted with the cool sterile air of the hospital. Setting Naruto down in a seat, she went down one of the endless white walled hallways to get a nurse and a stretcher team while Hinata stayed with him.

Watching Naruto sleep, Hinata couldn't help but smile at how cute and peaceful his face looked. Reaching up, she brushed some of his bangs out of his face and ran her hand down his whisker scared face. Consequently, this caused him to slouch over onto her shoulder. Frozen, she didn't want to move. Half because she didn't want to wake him up and half because she wanted it to just remain that way for the rest of the night. His soft breathing found its way to her neck, tickling it and causing her to slightly blush. _"Let's just stay like this forever…"_

"Sakura-chan…"

Hinata's world came crashing down, tearing and ripping away her confidence as it fell. _"Of course he would dream about her. Why wouldn't he? She's on his team, she's powerful, and beautiful."_ Tears began to form in her eyes. _"What Naruto? What will it take for you to notice me?"_ Her tears were quietly streaming down her face; drown out by his steady breathing. _"What? What will it take?"_

"Sakura-chan." Naruto's voice was a little louder now.

Completely defeated, Hinata just sat there unsure of what to do. Her self confidence was now at rock bottom. She just wanted to shrink away until there was nothing left of her. Suddenly, Naruto's face became concentrated, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Sakura-chan." He said louder than the last time. His body now began to shake, his face contorting in uncomfortable ways. "No…no…Sakura-chan!"

Now Hinata was concerned, "Naruto-kun?"

"No…no…NO! SAKURA!"

Naruto woke with a start, sweat dripping down the side of his face and he was breathing heavily. Suddenly realizing that he was not occupying just one seat he looked up into two large pale lavender eyes filled with concern. _"She looks so…worried."_ He thought, "_And is she crying?"_ Sitting up abruptly, he quickly cleared his throat before looking at her again. "Hinata, is something wrong? You look like you've been crying."

Stifling a sniff, she shook her head and replied. "N-no I'm f-fine. I w-was just w-w-worried about you." Briefly she looked him in the eyes before glancing away.

The shock of her concern caused Naruto to pause for a moment before putting a hand behind his head and flashing a grin at her. "You don't need to worry about me Hinata, I'm okay!" Placing a hand on her shoulder he managed to bring her gaze to his. "I can take care of myself, I'm just glad to see that you're okay."

"_He's glad to see that I'm okay?" _She thought shocked._ "He's concerned for me?"_ Slowly, Hinata could feel a little bit of her confidence returning. "I-I'm f-fine now th-thanks to y-you, Naruto-kun. I-I don't know w-what you d-d-did but I f-feel much better now." Blushing, she smiled at him.

Smiling and slightly blushing, Naruto stood up and stretched. He hadn't really noticed until now where he was. "Uh Hinata. How did I get here?" Giggling a little, Hinata stood up as well. Naruto couldn't help but notice her giggle. It was so…cute. _"And contagious,"_ he thought as he chuckled a little to himself.

"We h-had to c-carry you here b-because you p-passed out."

Taken back, Naruto looked at her incredulously. "You mean you carried me all the way here?"

Hinata nodded. "S-Sakura helped t-to." She thought for a moment before adding, "but y-you're s-still pretty h-heavy." _"Way to go!" _She thought silently congratulating herself._ "I believe that's the most flirting I've ever done!"_ Realizing this, she began to play with her fingers as she felt a little bit of her confidence returning.

Naruto laughed putting a hand behind his head. "Well I'm sorry you guys had to drag me here but I really didn't need it." Pausing for a moment he added, "But how about I make it up to you and buy you dinner?"

Now it was Hinata's turn to feel woozy. _"He wants to take me out to dinner?" _She thought panicking._ "He actually asked me on a date!" _Blushing furiously she blinked several times to focus, forcing herself to keep standing even though her knees objected. Shaking her head to clear her fuzziness she managed to squeak out, "N-n-no thanks. I-I'm n-n-not r-really h-hungry."

"Oh okay." Naruto replied slightly dejected.

Realizing she was about to miss her chance to spend more time with Naruto she quickly added blushingly, "B-b-but you c-can w-w-walk m-me h-home if you'd l-like?" _"Please! Please! Please!"_ She silently begged.

"Okay sure!" Naruto smiled, it was the least he could do for her after she carried him all the way here.

"_YES!"_ Hinata thought, as she smiled to herself and they left the hospital. Walking out into the night air caused her to shiver slightly because it was colder out now. Without thinking, she drew herself closer to the only other heat source near her; Naruto. The majority of their walk was quiet as they passed through the town. Hinata was, however, savoring the alone time she was getting with the man she loved so much. Looking up at him she could see the shadows of night playing across his handsome face, making him appear much older than he was. She also noticed that he was deep in thought.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

His answer seemed somewhat distracted and almost off-handed. "Nani?"

"W-what are y-you thinking a-about?"

He silently he rested his hands up behind his head taking in a deep breath, holding it for a moment, and exhaling as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. "I'm thinking about my battle with Pain. When I was pinned to the ground and you jumped in to protect me."

"Oh," was all Hinata managed to get out. She looked down blushing hard but the night thankfully protected it from being seen. _"He's thinking about what I said!"_ She began to panic again._ "About when I told him how I felt!"_ She shifted nervously, drawing her arms around herself. "W-what a-about the f-f-fight?"

Silence again as Naruto tried to find the words he was looking for. Finally he masked a smile looking at her, "Just about how much butt you kicked when you went up against Pain. I have to admit Hinata I was impressed and surprised at how strong you've gotten."

Surprised because she was not expecting a compliment from him, Hinata resorted to her usual blushing but she didn't break eye contact with him. Maybe the darkness was giving her a little more confidence? She knew that he had meant what he said, but she also sensed that he was hiding something. She could see it in his eyes; the way guilt and failure seemed to fill them. For the first time ever, Naruto was the first one to break eye contact. She wanted to know what he was really thinking about but she knew she shouldn't press him. Luckily they arrived at the Hyuuga compound only moments later.

Of all the things that were rebuilt in Konoha, the Hyuuga complex was one of the first. The newly constructed mansions seemed to tower over the surrounding tents and temporary log houses. The grand structures truly signified the power and influence the family held in the village as the importance of the family seemed to radiate from the buildings themselves. A fence had quickly been installed, not necessarily to prevent an assault but to at least keep locals from wandering into the compound. Standing guard in front of the entrance to the compound were two members of the Branch Family. Hinata looked at them and they both nodded, getting the hint, and turned to go on a temporary patrol.

Turning back to Naruto she spoke. "I almost forgot, this is for you." Surprised at her lack of stuttering, she pulled a small container from her pocket. "It's the ointment I was talking about; it should speed up the healing." _"Wow, I'm going to have to talk to him more often when it's dark out…and maybe I'll get a chance to show him how much I really care…"_ She quickly shook her head to clear the thoughts, blushing once again.

As she handed the container to him their hands touched and she quickly looked away. However, Naruto made no effort to move his hands or take the container. When she looked back she saw him staring at her and their eyes connected.

"Thank you, Hinata-sama." He said, staring deeply into her lavender eyes. They sparkled in the night and looked as if they could be stars in the very sky above them. He began to get a strange feeling that he couldn't quite put his finger on. However, he shook the feeling ignoring it and gave her a small smile.

Blushing she shook her head. "D-don't call m-m-me that, N-Naruto-kun. Th-that title m-makes me feel s-so old." _"Annnnd we're back to the same old me…"_ Internally defeated by the stutter once again.

Still looking at her and refusing to move his hands he smiled. "Well then thank you Hinata. I don't know what I'd do without you." He watched as her eyes brighten and a smile spread across her face. He didn't know why but she looked so different when she smiled and it made him feel good to know he caused it. _"She needs to smile more often." _He couldn't help but think to himself. **"Hmmph!"** Naruto could practically feel kyuubi rolling his eyes. _"Shut up and stay out of this you damned fox!"_ Averting his attention back to Hinata he realized he was still touching her hands and quickly withdrew them along with the container.

Blushing slightly he asked, "So how do I use this stuff?"

Blushing as well she looked down. "Y-you j-just p-p-put a pea s-sized amount o-on each w-wound three t-times a d-d-day."

"Okay sounds easy enough, thanks!" With that he reached out, grabbed Hinata, and gave her a hug; however it was much gentler this time. He didn't care if she was healed, he did not want a repeat of earlier.

Hinata melted into his arms. Closing her eyes she concentrated on not feinting while at the same time taking a deep breath and catching his scent again. Time was at a standstill as she stood there in his arms. _"Just like this…forever…"_

"Uh Hinata?" Naruto's question bringing her back to reality. "How will I get my back?"

The thought of Naruto's naked torso suddenly flashed in her mind. The muscles she felt under his shirt suddenly became visible as it seemed to just disappear and she remained there in his arms, surrounded by a white light. Suddenly she saw herself rubbing the ointment across his strong shoulders and down his defined back. It was too much for her; being in his arms, his scent, his lips so close to her, and the image of Naruto's naked chest and back overwhelmed her thoughts. With a high pitched "Eeek!" she promptly feinted in his arms.

Looking around in a panic, Naruto did the only thing he could think of. _"Uh, Kyuubi?"_ Sighing he responded. **"She's fine boy, I guess the thought of rubbing ointment on you proved to be too much."** He chuckled at the last part. _"Why do you say that?" _Naruto thought.Immediately Kyuubi felt isolated. **"God you're thick!" **Kyuubi yelled. With that, he turned his back to Naruto and pushed his way out of Naruto's mind. _"Thanks for the help…"_Naruto thoughst, slightly annoyed. **"Welcome baka!" **_"I didn't actually mean it!"_ With a final snicker Kyuubi disappeared. About the same time the two guards came back to their spots at the gate. Seeing Hinata unconscious and in Naruto's arms they looked at each other and smirked.

"It's okay Naruto-san." One of them said. "We'll take it from here." Finished the other.

They scooped up Hinata carefully and carried her to her room. With a shrug Naruto turned and began walking back to his apartment.


	2. A Master and A Student

**Author's Note: In case you guys haven't realized this yet, this story takes place just after Naruto Shippuden episode 175. Also, just like in the first chapter there will be some parallels with the actual series. It's not that I don't have an imagination, it's more like I'm trying to write a story where the change in feelings of the characters happens slightly sooner and is more noticeable. There will be plenty of material that is my own but I'm just forewarning you of similarities. Lastly, please read and review. I was ecstatic to see such interest in my story so please, please, please tell me what you think! I want to know! That being said, here is the second chapter. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: A Master and a Student**

Naruto was running. Not just any light well paced run, but an all out sprint to his destination kind of run. The only problem for him was that he had no idea where his destination was. Turning another corner in the hospital his shoes screeched across the polished tile floor. All he knew was that he had to find Sakura. He had to find her before it was too late. Seeing a door on his left, he burst through it to find the room empty except for a rather alarmed patient lying in bed looking dumbfounded. Turning from the room, he saw a nurse walking towards him looking over some documents. Running up to her he didn't even waste his time with formal greetings.

"I need to find Sakura-chan, where is she?" He yelled quickly.

Caught off guard, the nurse needed a second to process what she had just been asked and only managed to get out, "Uh?"

"Please! You need to tell me where she is, it is extremely important that I find her!"

Sensing the urgency in his voice the nurse quickly regained her composure. "Sakura Haruno is in room 325. Go down this hallway, hook a left, go down that hallway and hook a right and its two doors down on your right."

The nurse hadn't even finished her sentence and Naruto was already rounding the corner at the end of the hallway. "Thank you!" He managed to yell as he sprinted as fast as he could.

Time was running out and he could feel it. The once brightly lit hallways seemed to get dimmer and dimmer with each step he took towards the room. Sensing he was nearing his destination he drew on every bit of energy he had left until he was screeching to a halt outside of the room with the door that read 325. The numbers on the door gave off a menacing gleam that caused him to hesitate, unsure if he wanted to find out what was on the opposite side. On the other side he could hear commotion and the sound of frantic voices. Quickly approaching the door he could feel the eminent dooming increasing with each step he took, the darkness enclosing around him. Suddenly there was a scream and Naruto kicked through the door.

Two things caught Naruto's attention when he entered the room. The first was the sight of Sakura, dressed in hospital white scrubs, covered in blood, and slowly sagging to her knees as she clenched her sides. Her body began to shudder as blood dripped from her hands down onto the white polished floor.

Looking up she could only speak in a whisper. "Naruto…I'm so sorry…"

Turning he looked at the second thing that caught his attention. Realizing who it was all he could manage was, "Sasuke!"

Shaking his head slowly Sasuke turned his back to him.

"You couldn't save me, and now you can't even save those who care about you." He said in an even tone. With that he seemed to just drift away like smoke through the open window, disappearing into the night air.

Quickly turning back to Sakura, he saw that she now was lying on her side staring off into nothing. Kneeling down beside her he tried to get her attention as best he could.

"Sakura," he whispered.

His voice fell on deaf ears. She made no acknowledgement that she heard him, her eyes locked on some distant image.

"Sakura…Sakura...SAKURA!" His voice getting louder and louder each time he said her name.

Finally she averted her eyes and met his worried gaze. Shuddering again and wrapping her arms even more tightly around herself as she began to cry softly and quietly.

"I'm so sorry Naruto," she whispered again. "I've let you down."

"What do you mean Sakura?" He didn't understand what she was saying and panic was beginning to set in from seeing all the blood. He didn't want to lose her too. "I don't understand."

"I'm sorry," was all she said again. Closing her eyes her body went slack.

"Sakura!" he yelled. His emotions now getting to him, he could feel the tears in his eyes and his heart racing. "Sakura! No, I can't lose you too!" he cried out. "No, No, NO! SAKURA!"

His voice echoing, the floor beneath him crumbled away and he fell into a deep dark abyss. The void swallowed him up and all the light vanished. The only thing with him was his voice still screaming Sakura's name. Suddenly two bright, red, glowing eyes opened in front of him and a slow, deep, demonic laugh erupted from the darkness.

"What do you want?" Naruto screamed.

"**Hahaha…You!"**

Waking with a start, Naruto sat up quickly drenched in sweat. "_Another damn night terror,"_ he thought to himself. It wasn't that he had never had them before or even the fact that he had been having them a lot lately. No, the strange thing was that it was the same night terror over and over again, and each time he saw a little more. Finally giving up on what the dream meant he sighed to himself and glanced at the time; five o'clock in the morning. _"Well,"_ he thought, _"guess it's time to get up and get going."_ With a loud groan he pushed himself up out of bed and headed for the shower. Picking his way through his room he made it to his dresser. Grabbing a clean pair of boxers he then navigated his way to the bathroom, stopping at the door to look again at his bedroom. The room looked as if a tornado had gone through it. Dirty clothes lay everywhere and dirty dishes were piled up on top of his dresser and his nightstand.

"Damn," he said to himself, "I really need to clean."

Then with a shrug, he walked to the bathroom to get a shower. Once he was done he pulled out Hinata's ointment and opened it. The smell of mint and ethanol reached his nose and instantly put him into a lax mood. Taking a pea sized amount on his index finger, he began to rub it on the mark of his opposite hand. As soon as it made contact with his skin instant relief began to radiate through the mark as a small amount of steam began to rise. _"Wow,"_ he thought to himself, _"this stuff is amazing!"_ Once he was done applying the ointment to all the marks he could reach he capped it and popped the container into his side pouch. He then made his way into the kitchen.

If his room looked like a tornado had made its way through it, then the kitchen looked as if it was in the middle of monsoon season. It wasn't that he was messy on purpose, or didn't care about how the place looked. He was just so used to living by himself that he never had any reason to clean and since he never had any parents it just became a habit. Picking his way through the dirty dishes he finally found a bowl that wasn't too dirty. Rinsing it out he proceeded to make a bowl of instant ramen.

"Ah, the breakfast of champions!" he cried happily to himself before digging in.

Once he was done he tossed the bowl with an audible bang into the kitchen sink and left to go train. The way to the training grounds outside the city was a decently long walk and since it was still early none of the villagers were out and about yet except for a few preparing to open up shop. The quiet walk caused Naruto to begin thinking about all that had happened recently; mainly, a particular lavender eyed girl who had saved his life. However, the thoughts weren't happy but quite the opposite. Walking down the dirt road he berated himself over and over again for not being strong enough, not having enough will, not having enough drive and determination to protect someone that had actually cared for him all along and ultimately loved him. That last thought caused him to stop in his tracks. _"That's right; she actually admitted that she loved me."_ The idea of someone actually loving him filled him with happiness yet at the same time he felt a different feeling too. Once again he couldn't quite put his finger on what the feeling was. _"What is it?"_ he asked himself. _"What is this feeling? I know that I like her, I care for her, and yet I don't think that I would go as far to say that I love her. I've always had feelings towards Sakura-chan."_

A sudden snort from somewhere in the recesses of his mind reminded him that he wasn't the only one listening to his thoughts.

"Well Kyuubi," he said openly since no one was around, "what are your thoughts on the matter?"

"**You think that I care for such petty things like human emotions?" Kyuubi snorted at him.**

"Not necessarily, but it doesn't hurt to ask." He said off handedly as he raised his arms behind his head and continued down the dirt road.

Slightly taken back by Naruto's response Kyuubi answered after a pause. **"Listen boy, you need to realize that you live in a dangerous world. Death lurks around every corner and if you busy yourself with emotions like love then you're only distracting yourself from becoming more powerful."**

"Power isn't the only important thing in this world fox." He said almost sage like. "I've lived my life scared and alone thanks to you. So is it so wrong to look for a little affection?"

Once again Kyuubi was surprised by Naruto's response. However, he knew that he could never allow the boy to fall in love. _**"No, he can't do that. If something ever happened to that person it would be his undoing."**_Taking a breath he answered Naruto. **"Look baka, Pain was right when he said that love only ever led to suffering. If you want to chase love fine, but when something happens to that person and all that anger, pain, and hate bubbles up out of you I'll be waiting." **He smiled evilly at the last part.

Now obviously annoyed with Kyuubi Naruto spoke, "Well it's not like I wouldn't be able to find love anyways thanks to you!" he spat. "Sakura-chan will never give me a chance and once Hinata finds out that I'm a package deal she'll turn and run!"

With a loud "humph" Kyuubi left Naruto's thoughts. Worked up now, Naruto doubled his pace trying to get to the training grounds to let off some steam. Kyuubi's words still echoing in his head. _"You're only distracting yourself from becoming more powerful."_ Instantly his mind shifted to Sasuke. He gritted his teeth as he thought of his old friend and rival. _"I bet you've become more powerful," _he thought, _"that's why you left the village right? To avoid distractions and become stronger."_ He had to become stronger. He couldn't bear to watch another one of his 'precious people' be hurt in front of him again. _"I have the ultimate attack, there's no denying that. But what good is an ultimate attack when I can't defend those I care about." _Defeated now, he sighed and hung his head. His thoughts slipping back to his old rival he couldn't help but look up at the blue sky and ask himself, _"Where are you Sasuke?"_

Hinata slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight was beginning to trickle in through her window brightening the room slowly. Rolling over she put her head under her pillow and closed her eyes, snuggling down into the warmth of her bed. _"Wait! Bed?"_ Snapping her eyes open she sat up quickly. _"How did I get here?"_ she asked herself. Looking around the room she confirmed it was hers. _"But how?" _Suddenly the previous night came flooding back into her memory. The images of Naruto talking, walking, and touching her flashed through her mind. Feeling slightly woozy she lay back down with a faint blush across her cheeks. _"I wouldn't mind him touching me again…"_ Realizing what she was thinking she quickly broke her train of thought by glancing at the clock beside her. The clock told her it was 5:15 a.m. Feeling suddenly full of energy, she decided that if she hurried she could make it to the training grounds by 5:30. Jumping out of bed and stripping off her pajamas at the same time she rushed to her huge walk in closet and grabbed her training clothes. However, as she was reaching for clothes on the hangers she caught sight of herself in the mirror on the far back wall.

Her body seemed to glow in the morning light. Slender arms outstretched for her clothes seemed to contrast her legs which were sleek until they reached her full and well exercised thighs. Naturally because of this, her butt had a rather bubbly disposition that had nice gentle curve to it. Her ample chest easily filled out her top half completely balancing her and giving her curves that any other girl would kill for and her flat tight stomach complimented them further. Her midnight blue hair fell in waves over her shoulders since it had not yet been combed and gave the finishing touch. Any sane man would say she looked like an angel that had just rolled out of bed, natural beauty and perfection radiating from her. She, however, shook her head embarrassingly and quickly pulled on her clothes to cover herself. She just simply wasn't comfortable with her body.

Quickly eating a brief breakfast she ran out the door with her destination being the training grounds. However as she walked alongside the house she ran into her father meditating in the courtyard. Bowing to him politely she spoke.

"Good morning father."

Not even turning his head to her Hiashi asked, "Where are you off to?"

"To the training grounds, I should be there all morning. Do you need something of me father?"

Sighing, he shook his head. "No, but you should realize that you are nothing like that boy. You are as strong as you are going to get. Why do you continue to lie to yourself?"

"I know I can become stronger." She said quietly looking down.

With that Hiashi shook his head again and went back to meditating leaving Hinata standing there defeated. Wanting to get out of there as quickly as she could she bowed and made her way quickly to the gates. As she jogged through the empty streets to the outskirts of the city her thoughts began to drift once again to her blonde hero. Then she remembered what he had said to her the day before, '_I was thinking about how strong you are and how much butt you kicked when you fought Pain.' _She couldn't help but asked herself,_ "Naruto…do you really think I'm that strong?"_ But quickly she shot herself down._ "If I'm so strong I should have been able to save you. In the end I only hurt you and you saved me."_ Feeling her confidence slowly start to sink she became frustrated and could feel her emotions starting to run. She had to get stronger, she needed to prove to herself and to him that she wasn't helpless and that he wouldn't always have to protect her. Suddenly Pain's comment echoed in her head. _'Why do you try, when you are so weak?'_ Tears now threatening to fall, she ducked her head and began to sprint finally giving into her emotions. Rounding a corner she did even see the man in front of her and slammed straight into him.

Naruto was lost in thought when a dark blur slammed into his chest jolting him back to reality. Hinata, who had been completely oblivious to him at first, was knocked back and after realizing who it was lost her footing and tumbled backwards. Reacting fast, Naruto put lightning itself to shame as he caught Hinata bridal style before she could touch the ground. Locking into a gaze, they became lost in each other's eyes. Naruto noticed that she had been crying, the tear stains on her cheeks were still fresh and a dead giveaway. _"She's so fragile, so innocent and shy and yet so strong." _was all he could think.

Hinata was thinking quite the opposite though. _"He so quick and powerful, I wish I was more like him…I wish he didn't have to protect me…"_ Tears once again formed in her eyes. Staring deeply into those pools of cerulean she could see the care and concern for her.

"Are you okay Hinata?"

Snapping out of her thoughts she began to blush as she realized that they were still staring at each other and that he was holding her still.

Panicking she blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "If you'd set me down I would be!"

Shocked, Naruto set her gently down on her feet and backed away from her averting his eyes and blushing.

Instantly regretting what she said she tried to apologized. "I'm s-sorry N-Naruto-kun. I-I d-didn't mean it l-like th-that." Tears began to make their way down her cheeks again. _Damnit! Why can't I be strong! Why am I so weak?"_

Smiling he replied, "It's okay Hinata. I didn't mean to rush you like that and it's my fault I knocked you down." Then realizing that she was crying he asked hurriedly, "Hinata is everything okay? Did I hurt you?" He quickly began to reach into his kuni pouch for the ointment that she had given him earlier. He didn't even know if it would work, but it was worth a try.

Upon hearing this Hinata completely broke down and lost it. Fling her arms around Naruto she began to sob uncontrollably into his chest. Frozen, Naruto did the only thing that his instincts told him to do. Wrapping his arms around Hinata he gave her a steady firm hug causing her to cry even harder.

Unable to control her emotions now, she began to talk. "I'm sorry Naruto…I'm sorry I'm weak…I'm sorry I'm defenseless…I'm sorry I'm such a burden to you and everyone else…I'm s-" Choking on her tears because she was crying so hard she was unable to continue and just buried her face deeper into his chest.

Stunned, Naruto could only absorb what the girl in his arms was saying. _"How can she think that she's weak, that she's a burden to everyone?"_ Suddenly he remembered what everyone had told him about her; bits and pieces coming together, comments from here and there accumulating together. _"She's this way because of her father, because of her family, because nobody is willing to give her a chance. She's been put down so much her self esteem has been eroded away to nothing."_ He could feel anger building up in him, not at Hinata but at everyone else. He knew she wasn't weak, that she wasn't a burden. She was very strong, strong enough to go toe to toe with Pain and even land a hit on him. _"Not to mention that amazing defensive technique she has."_ Suddenly an idea lit up in his head. Grabbing her by the shoulders he thrust her away from his body staring intensely into her eyes. He waited until she met his.

"Hinata," he said, "I don't ever want to hear you say those things again, okay? You aren't weak and you aren't a burden. You saved _me_ from Pain, no one else. When I was pinned to the ground it was _you _who saved me. So please don't say those things again."

Nodding, Hinata smiled meekly. "Th-thank you, Naruto-kun. I p-promise I won't s-say those th-things again." _"If Naruto-kun thinks that I'm strong then I must be. I just need to believe in myself more! But I can get stronger, and he can help me."_ Looking at Naruto she saw that he seemed to be lost in thought just like her. Smiling to herself she brought him back to their world.

"Naruto-kun."

"Hm? Oh I'm sorry Hinata did you say something?"

Smiling and sniffling to herself she shook her head. "N-no but I am now. I h-have a f-favor to ask y-y-you." Blushing, she looked down quickly and then back up.

"Oh, that's funny because I have one to ask of you too."

Surprised that Naruto wanted a favor from her Hinata blushed even more.

"Okay." she meekly said.

Both of them stood there in silence expecting to speak, the awkwardness rising until it hit its breaking point. No longer able to take it any longer they both spoke at the same time.

"I want you to train me."

Naruto stood there stunned blushing slightly; however, Hinata gasped taking a step back and wore a blush that would cause a rose to turn green with envy.

"Y-you w-want m-m-me to t-t-train y-you?" Hinata barely stuttered out.

"I could say the same thing." Naruto said smiling and putting a hand behind his head.

She looked at the ground while speaking barely over a whisper, "W-what c-could you p-possibly w-want to l-learn from m-m-me?"

Shifting slightly he glanced around before looking at her. "I was wondering if you could teach me that really powerful defensive technique? You know the one that repels attacks back onto the attacker?"

"Y-you m-mean the K-Kaiten?" she whispered even more quietly looking around.

"Uh, yeah, that one. Can you teach me it?"

"It's a s-secret family t-technique, and b-besides that I d-d-don't even know if you h-have the ability to learn it." She said looking down.

"Oh." was all Naruto could say the disappointment evident in his voice.

"But…I s-suppose it's worth a t-try."

Naruto looked at her with a mixture of shock and excitement. "Are you sure? You just said it's a family secret."

Hinata gave a little smile, "I know, b-but the hero of the v-village has its b-benefits."

Full of excitement now, Naruto was about to scoop Hinata up into a hug until he remembered what she had said earlier.

"So, uh, what did you want Hinata? I don't know what I could possibly train you in."

"_He thinks I'm that strong?"_ She couldn't stop the deep blush that now covered her cheeks. "W-well," she said, "you c-can s-start by t-training me in stamina. If I c-could even r-reach half of w-what you are n-n-now then I th-think I'll be good."

Thinking for a moment about what he needed to do he looked at her and flashed his famous fox grin. "Sounds like a deal Hinata. You train me and I'll train you."

Looking up at him she gave a small smile in agreement. Then realizing that they had been talking for some time she said, "N-Naruto, I th-think we should b-be going now. W-We're wasting time h-here."

He glanced up in the sky and saw that the sun was beginning to peak over the horizon. Not wanting to waste anymore time he flashed another smile at her and grabbed her hand.

"Come on Hinata, let's get moving!"

It took everything in her power to stay conscious at that moment and the several minutes that followed, the dizziness fighting her as she felt the strength and warmth in Naruto's hand. He had become so lost in thought thinking about the kind of training that he would put Hinata through that he forgot to let go of her hand and was dragging her along. To say he was dragging her would be an understatement. Naruto was so excited thinking about training that he was walking so fast to the point of almost running. Having trouble focusing aside from trying to keep up, Hinata had to do something. However, she couldn't find her voice. The fact that her love was holding her hand, however nonchalantly it was, completely left her speechless and dazed. This changed though when the gates to the city came into view as did the ninja on guard duty. Panicking, Hinata had to say something.

"Um, N-Naruto?"

"Yes Hinata?"

"C-can I p-please have m-my h-hand back?" A blush was now burning across her face.

Coming completely back to reality, he looked down and saw his hand still firmly grasping hers. Letting go quickly he said, "S-sorry Hinata." as he blushed slightly.

She giggled and smiled. "It's okay."

On the outside of the village walking at a painfully slow pace towards the front gate was an old couple that looked as if death was walking right next to them. However, there were a few things in the world of shinobi that death itself feared and these two happened to be at the top of its list.

Turning to his wife he smiled as he spoke. "Well Renge, it looks like we made it." His eyes creased even more and the lines cracked across his face as he smiled. She smiled back at him. "Even if you move with the speed that rivals a snail." This last comment, however, quickly wiped the smile off her face as she turned on her husband.

"Oh? That was quite funny was it?" she asked. "I'm surprised it didn't take us longer with you stopping to use the bathroom every ten minutes."

The old man was about to counter with another comment when he stopped dead in his tracks and stiffened.

Seeing this is wife stopped and looked at him. "What's the matter?" she asked with a smirk. "Have to go again?"

However, the old man ignored her and focused more. Then he turned and looked at his wife with a smile on his face. "No, but it appears that someone in this village has an enormous amount of chakra and is heading our way."

His wife turned and began to focus and sure enough she felt it too. However, there was something else as well.

"They aren't alone. Someone else is with that person and they have a fair amount of chakra as well."

The husband nodded in agreement. Then they both began to hobble as quickly as they could towards the village.

"Well, it looks like this trip is going to be an interesting one."

"Yes," his wife agreed, "this is going to be very interesting indeed."

Naruto and Hinata had just passed through the gates of the village when they came upon an elderly couple. Not wanting to be rude they both took a side step to give them the right of way and bowed their heads slightly smiling at them. The old couple stopped, however, and looked at them intently, to be more particular, at Naruto.

"Can I help you sir?" Naruto asked.

"Heh, would you look at that." the old man replied still staring intently at him. "Tell me something ninja, today is supposed to be a day of rest is it not?"

Naruto nodded to confirm that what the old man said was true.

"Then why are you leaving the village? I doubt you have a mission. Unless…" The old man trailed off as he averted his attention to Hinata who was quietly standing at the side of Naruto. "Hehe, I guess you have special plans for you and your girlfriend."

Hinata instantly began to blush at being called Naruto's girlfriend. _"It is nice that someone mistaken us for that though." _

"Oi, what are you trying to say?" Naruto asked, clueless as ever.

This caused the old man to laugh uncontrollably for a few moments and made Naruto become irritated. He didn't like it when people laughed at him, but judging by what he said it obviously upset Hinata and he didn't like that.

"All I'm saying is," as the old man composed himself again, "we were young once." At this the old man winked.

Hinata thought she was going to die. Not only had the old man just mistaken them for a couple but he was also suggesting that they were about to go off somewhere to be a little more…intimate. All she could do as the fire on her face grew was shake her head vigorously which once again caused the old man to lose it. Suddenly the old woman who was quietly standing there next to him lost her patience. In a flash she took the walking stick she was using and brought it down hard on the old man's head causing a yelp of pain and tears to stream down his face.

Turning to the two shocked ninjas she spoke. "Please excuse my husband, he can be rather immature sometimes and the long journey here didn't help." As she said this she shot him a killer look that caused him to raise his hands in a defensive manner. "But I must ask, what are you doing out here?"

Looking at the old woman critically for a moment Naruto answered. "Hinata-san and I were on our way to the training grounds for some training. I know that it is technically our day off but we don't want to lose our edge and I personally have some things that I wish to work on."

"Oh I see," replied the woman raising an eyebrow. "So not only are you two respectful but hard working as well. Not many shinobi can say that these days." Then she turned to her husband. "Come along Jihibiki; let's leave these ninja alone so they can train."

With that they old couple went on their way and Naruto and Hinata continued on theirs. As they were walking he glanced over at Hinata who still had a faint blush.

"Hinata?"

"Yes Naruto-kun?"

"Did something seem slightly off about those two?"

She was silent as she thought. She was so busy thinking about what the old man had suggested she didn't really pay attention to what else had been said or what had happened. _"Should have I noticed something? They didn't seem out of the ordinary to me. Except…"_

"Th-the old woman m-moved unusually fast f-for her age." Hinata replied.

He nodded, "I agree, something is definitely different about those two. But I say we forget about it," as he smiled, "we're finally here."

They walked briefly through a short path in the woods off the main road and arrived at the training ground. Unlike the other training grounds in the village, this training ground was outside the village for ninja that were practicing more advanced techniques. The flat open space was adjacent to a large pond. All of this was surrounded and at the bottom of a hill, the reason being that if there was any kind of accident or huge explosion in the training ground then it would be contained. Walking down the hill the two made their way over to the edge of the pond and began to warm up. After that was done they began to contemplate the kind of training that they would be doing.

"I think it's best if we train together." Naruto said.

Hinata nodded in agreement.

"I will run the physical and stamina training in the morning, and you can run the chakra training in the afternoon."

"S-sounds good to m-me." Hinata said smiling. _"I can't believe it! I'm actually going to train alongside Naruto!"_ She began to smile even bigger.

He noticed this and smiled back, but then it turned into an evil grin causing Hinata to instantly lose all emotion in her face.

"W-why are y-you looking at m-me like that N-Naruto?" she stammered out.

"Hmm? Oh because I doubt you will be smiling when I'm through with you." He replied.

She gave an audible gulp that made Naruto laugh but then he softened his look. "It's okay Hinata; I won't be too hard on you-"

"-No I want you to be." she interrupted.

Shocked, he stood there staring at her waiting for an explanation.

"I d-don't want you to g-go easy on me Naruto." she continued. "The ninja out there will not so I do not wish you to either." She finished off with her voice strong even though it was quiet. _"Where the hell did that come from?"_ she asked herself, but she held her gaze to his.

After a moment he spoke. "Okay Hinata, I just didn't want you to worry that's all. I'm going to push you but I won't hurt you."

Instantly her boldness was crushed and a blush spread across her face. "_He's worried that he'll hurt me?"_ She had to duck her head so that he wouldn't see her smiling to herself. Mistaking this for fear, Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. The sudden contact with her pulled her back to reality and with an "Eep!" she jumped back.

"I-it's okay N-Naruto. I-I want y-you t-to be h-hard on m-me. I w-want t-to improve as m-much as p-possible." she stammered out.

Naruto looked at her and then smiled melting her heart. _"You already have become stronger Hianta; you just don't know it yet."_

"In that case let's begin."

With that he produced a scroll from his pouch. Opening it up there was a seal that spread across the paper. Setting it down on the grass he bit his thumb and placed his palm on the seal as spoke.

"**Summoning Jutsu!**"

After the smoke had cleared away there were a vest, two sets of ankle weights, and two sets of wrist weights. Picking up the vest he turned to Hinata and held it out to her.

"Here put this on." he said.

As she grabbed it she instantly felt herself being jerked downwards. Crashing into the ground, she fell on top of the vest. _"How heavy is this?"_ Looking up at Naruto she could see that he just looked at her expectantly. So struggling to her feet she was about to unzip her vest when she stopped and looked at him.

"Uh…N-Naruto?"

"Yes Hinata?"

"D-Do you m-mind t-turning around p-please." she said blushing fiercely.

"Oh." he said, "Sure thing." as he began to turn around. **"Once again, how noble."** Kyuubi taunted. Naruto sighed inwardly. _"Damn and all this time I was thinking I would be rid of you for a little while."_ Kyuubi smiled menacingly, **"Keep dreaming b-"** he stopped short as both he and Naruto perked up. **"Something isn't right boy."** Kyuubi said warily. _"I know,"_ Naruto thought, _"I feel it too."_

The feeling of being watched radiated from the trees Naruto was facing. Something wasn't right, as if he and Hinata were being stalked. He then realized that the forest was dead quiet. All of the animals, the birds, the insects were quiet. Even the wind had died down as if waiting in anticipation of something imminent. Something violent. **"Naruto move!" **Suddenly the air was filled with high pitched whistling as the sound of sharp pointed metal objects cut through the air approaching them rapidly.

Without thinking Naruto did the only thing that was possibly left to do. Diving backwards he tackled Hinata to the ground and rolled them away, covering her with his body as he felt the sharp hot pain of kuni and shurikens being imbedded into his back. Doing his best to keep a straight face he looked at the girl underneath him and saw the surprise and confusion in her eyes.

Hinata was in the process of taking her jacket off when suddenly Naruto dove on top of her knocking her down and rolled her a few feet away before staring into her eyes. _"Oh my god, is he trying to have his way with me? No! Naruto would never do that! What is going on?"_

Confused, she looked at his face and saw it was written with pain. Something had happened, but what? She had been so caught up in trying to get her jacket off as quickly as possible that she didn't even sense and danger. Had they really been attacked and she had been that unprepared?

Realizing that the first attack was over, Naruto quickly stood up pulling Hinata up along with him. Turning to look at where the attack came from and getting into a defensive stance as he pulled out a kuni he spoke, never once taking his eyes off the treeline. "Hinata, can you please remove the weapons from my back."

Failing to find her voice she simply nodded and quickly removed four shuriken and three kuni from his back. Once she was done she pulled out a kuni and got into a defensive stance next to Naruto.

Catching this out of the corner of his eye he spoke. "Hinata, I don't want you to put yourself in unnecessary danger. I'll cover you, try and make it to the village."

Instantly memories began to flood her mind, memories telling her to back down, to give up. Memories of people telling her she was nothing but a hindrance and a waste of space. Naruto had once again just saved her life and now he was telling her to run, to abandon him to save herself. _"No," _she thought, _"Not this time!"_

"I have a better idea." She said in an even tone.

Shocked, Naruto chanced a glance at Hinata. "And what would that be?"

A small smile crept across her face as she activated her Byakugan, "Let's fight these cowards together."

Naruto could see that something had changed in Hinata. He could see it in her eyes and in the way she spoke. _"Determination."_ He thought to himself. He could see the drive she was carrying inside her now and it actually scared him a little bit. Unfortunately he didn't have time to think much more of it as two masked ninja appeared before them with no distinguishable markings and dressed in muted grey and black shirts and pants.

"Impressive." said the first ninja, a man judging from his voice.

"Truly it was." Said the second ninja, her voice giving away her gender. "No one has ever been able to detect us before we attack. You are most certainly an interesting person."

"Identify yourself! Who are you and what do you want?" Naruto yelled. He was pissed off that he had been attacked for no reason and even more pissed that Hinata had to be involved.

"Who are we?" asked the first ninja. "Hmm, well that's not really important. As for the second question, nothing really. Nothing but a good bloody fight. You see, it's been so long since we've killed anyone and we figured since your village was just destroyed then the only ninja left are ones worth fighting." It wasn't possible to read the ninja's face since the mask covered all but the eyes.

"However, we'll make a deal with you." replied the woman. "If you can lay one finger on either one of us then we will let you go."

"That doesn't seem like much of a deal." Hinata retorted.

"Oh but it is child," said the woman. "It is your life after all."

"Oh but she does have a point." continued the man. "How about this, if you win then we will turn ourselves in and hand over all the information we know on the enemies of the Hidden Leaf."

"That's nice," replied Naruto, "but who says that you know anything about our enemies?"

"Such a perceptive boy." the woman said. "We have traveled through all the elemental countries and have learned many secrets from each. If you can defeat us, all of our knowledge is yours."

Feeling the tension rising, Naruto looked at Hinata. "What do you want to do?" he whispered.

"It's not like we have a choice." she said. "And besides, their information could be useful."

He nodded in agreement. Then looking at the masked ninja he said, "Fine, and what happens if we lose?" he pretty much knew the answer already.

"If you lose then we kill you." the woman said off handedly.

"And I'll start with her," the man said pointing to Hinata, "so I can see the look on your face as she dies."

"You son of a bitch!" Naruto yelled; he could feel his anger beginning to reaching dangerous levels. "Forget the information; I'll kill you before you can lay a hand on her!"

"You have ten minutes so let us begin." replied the woman coolly "And one more thing."

Suddenly she disappeared completely before Naruto and Hinata and then reappeared between them, causing them to both jump away splitting them up. But just as Hinata landed the other ninja appeared behind Hinata and before she could act, pulled a kuni to her throat. Then he looked at Naruto and spoke evenly.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."


	3. Demons Inside and Out

**Author Note:** **Hey everyone, just wanted to say thanks for your interest in my story, it really keeps me motivated and excited! **

**Ppsh: I appreciate your input and I'm glad you took the time to read my story. Just continue to read and I assure you that everything will explain itself in due time, especially with the old couple.**

**Here's chapter three, R&R please!**

**Chapter 3: Demons Inside and Out**

Standing there without moving a muscle, Naruto stared at the masked man radiating killer intent. After a moment of intense staring he shifted his attention slightly to look at Hinata.

"Hinata?"

"Yes Naruto?" she answered.

"Do you trust me?"

"I always have." she replied with a small smile.

With a slight smirk Naruto brought his hands together and formed the all too familiar sign.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!" he yelled as ten other clones of himself appeared. Nodding together, they burst away separating. Naruto and one other clone charged the man and Hinata as the other clones attacked the woman throwing kuni at her to back her up and give him some space to work with. After throwing their kuni, the clones resorted to Tai jutsu to back the woman up even further. Closing the space between him and the masked man rapidly, the ninja tensed as he prepared to cut Hinata's throat. Suddenly two hands burst through the ground and grabbed the man's ankles, his eyes widened in horror as he looked down to see a third Naruto staring at him smiling evilly._ "How? When did he hide that clone?"_ the man asked himself panicking. Then his eyes grew even wider as he thought back and it dawned on him, _"He must have hid it when he tackled the girl to the ground, just before they rolled away!"_

Seeing that the man was distracted with her Byakugan, Hinata took advantage of the opportunity at hand. Bringing a chakra-filled palm strike up, she blasted the man's elbow that held the kuni to her throat, shredding the ligaments in his arm. Then, pushing the arm away, she dived to the side as Naruto reach the now disabled and distracted man with a Rasengan.

The man's eyes dilated with fear.

"If there's one thing you should know about me," Naruto yelled as he plunged the Rasengan into the man's solar plexus, "it's that I always keep my promises!"

Driving him away with a massive wind fueled explosion, the man left a cratered trail in his wake. Dust and debris blocked his vision until it finally dissipated to reveal the man lying in a three foot deep crater twenty five yards away. Turning around, Naruto then ran over to where Hinata was kneeling.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her to her feet.

"Of course I am, I never doubted you." she replied with a small smile and blush.

"How adorable." The woman's voice rang out, grabbing both of their attention. They turned to see the woman dispel the last of the shadow clones. "I hate to interrupt this touching moment," her voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm still here."

"What about our deal?" Naruto yelled angrily. "You said that if we could touch either one of you then you would submit to us! Right now I'd say your partner over there," he jerked his thumb to the crater, "is looking like the south end of a north bound horse!"

The woman chuckled at him, a dark menacing chuckle that made Naruto's hair stand on the back of his neck. There was more to this woman than what he could see on the outside.

"That is true." the woman said. "But the bounty on your head is much too high to pass up because of some petty deal." Then she shifted her attention to Hinata. "And that Hyuuga girl's eyes would fetch a fine price on the black market." The woman's eyes began to gleam with greed as she thought about the profit she could make.

Hinata quivered at the thought of her eyes being gouged out. _"Get it together!"_ She berated herself mentally. _"Just a moment ago you were talking about kicking their asses with Naruto, don't go soft now!"_

Forcing a smirk onto her face, Hinata replied, "You can try to take them, but don't be disappointed when you fail."

The woman chuckled again. "Oh I will take them, there's no doubt in my mind I can. I know who you are Hyuuga Hinata." An evil smile twisted on her face underneath her mask.

"Go to hell!" Naruto screamed at her in fury. It was one thing to threaten him, but to threaten Hinata for no reason other than to steal her eyes was too much. _"Not while I'm still breathing she won't."_ he promised himself. This girl was too precious for him to fail; he would do everything in his power to keep her safe.

The woman laughed maniacally dragging him back to reality. "Not before I turn you two in."

Both getting into their fighting stances, Naruto and Hinata looked fiercely at the masked woman. However, they were surprised when she jumped back even further and landed on the pond.

"Might as well gain home field advantage." she said as she flashed through some hand seals. "It may be cheap but who cares? Kirigakure no jutsu!"

Suddenly a thick dense fog rolled in, reducing Naruto and Hinata's vision down to practically nothing. Standing back to back, they prepared themselves for whatever might come, trying to listen as best they could for any indication of an attack.

"_This isn't good."_ Hinata thought. _"Usually I would at least be able to see someone's chakra, but this fog is different. It's almost like the fog is charged with chakra itself, I can't see anything!"_

Suddenly and out of nowhere the attack came in flurries; kicks, punches, and weapons, Naruto and Hinata doing their best to defend themselves against an invisible enemy. Hearts racing and senses firing on all pistons, the two did their best to ward off the relentless attacks. But each time the attacks came, the damage to the two young shinobi grew more and more as their defenses were worn down little by little.

"Naruto." Hinata said between breathes as she deflected a few kuni and a random kick to the head.

"What?" he asked as he blocked a hook to his side and threw a kick that connected with nothing but fog. _"Damn this fog!"_

"We need to do something about this fog. My Byakugan is useless and I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." She said as shuriken grazed her hip and she winced in pain.

"I know we do." Naruto said through clenched teeth as an upper cut blasted him in the gut. _"But what? We can't keep doing this forever; I need to think of something, anything!"_ A sudden sharp cry of pain from Hinata and a few shuriken in his arm followed by a kick to his head brought him back quickly. Ripping them out, he quickly turned around to see Hinata standing up slowly as blood dripped down her left arm. He could feel the frustration rising and the helpless feeling growing as he looked at the pain on Hinata's face. _"I swore I would protect her!"_ he screamed to himself as his anger hit its boiling point.

"That's it, fuck this!" he yelled as he brought his hands together. "Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Quickly a hundred clones appeared scattered throughout the fog.

"Find her!" Naruto yelled as they all scattered and began looking for the deadly ninja.

Instantly clones began to dispel all from a certain area. As soon as this happened the other clones received the message and began to converge on the general area. It was the crudest form possible for tracking someone, but Naruto wasn't looking for style, just for something effective.

"Hinata, follow me!" he yelled as they took off towards the other clones. "We have to hurry before she can counter my clones and relay false information to me."

Hinata couldn't help but give a small smile as she silently praised him. _"They may call you an idiot, but your ingenuity on the battlefield is second to none Naruto-kun."_

Sakura was not having a very good day. To start off, she had gotten a rather unpleasant lecture from Shizune this morning for having let Naruto and Hinata leave the hospital without treatment the night before. Next, even though it was her day off she managed to get dragged into pulling perimeter guard duty with her sensei Hatake Kakashi since the village was still low on manpower. However, nothing prepared her for what came next.

She was walking around the perimeter of the walls about one hundred meters into the woods lost in self pity when she heard someone call her name. Turning to see who it was, they saw a flustered and slightly irritated Inuzuka Kiba racing towards them on his larger than average dog, and teammate, Akamaru.

"Sakura!" he said as he skidded to a halt in front of her, "I know something you're gonna want to hear!"

"What is it?" she asked cocking her head slightly to the side in curiosity.

"It's Sasuke!" he said almost breathlessly.

Worried now and fully attentive, she perked up. "What about him? Is he okay? Did something happen?"

"He's a missing nin!"

Irritated, Sakura closed her eyes and breathed. "I know that already." she said evenly. "He's been missing for awhile!"

Kiba shook his head quickly as frustration played across his face. "You don't understand, _he's missing_. As in he has officially been labeled as a rogue ninja!"

"What?" Sakura shouted out, "When did this happen?" Her emotions were starting to creep up on her as a mixture of fear, worry, and concern washed over her.

"About ten minutes ago. I tried to find you as fast as I could when I found out." Kiba said.

"Who gave the order and why?" Kakashi asked seemingly out of nowhere. His lazy nonchalant eye didn't show it, but he was concerned just as much as Sakura was.

"Danzo did." Kiba spat out disregarding the honorifics and respected title of Hokage. "He gave the order after a group of cloud ninja showed up asking for permission to hunt him down." He continued frowning. He knew that there was no way to override the current Hokage's order, but he also knew how much Sasuke meant to Sakura and Naruto.

"Have you told Naruto yet?" Sakura blurted out, beating Kakashi to the question. They both knew how he was going to react to the news.

Kiba shook his head, "No, not yet. I came to you first because you were closer." He sighed closing his eyes for a moment, acknowledging what they all were thinking. "Besides, we all know how he'll react when he finds out. I figured it would be better to tell you first."

Sakura and Kakashi both nodded in agreement.

"Still," Sakura said quietly as she looked down, "he needs to know." _"I know this is going to hurt him like Hell but he has a right to know. We need to do something!"_ Suddenly looking up determined, she stared hard at Kiba. "Can you and Akamaru track Naruto down?"

Kiba smiled confidently and Akamaru barked happily. "What are you kidding? Of course we can!"

"Good." Sakura said as she started walking towards them. "Lead the w-."

"Sakura."

Sakura turned around and looked at her sensei half questioning and half irritated.

"Don't forget you're still on duty." Kakashi pointedly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Anger suddenly began bubbling up through Sakura and she started to radiate killer intent as she slowly began walking towards her sensei.

"Are you saying," she spoke quietly as her voice started to shake with rage, "that this worthless guard duty is _more_ important _than_ Sasuke?"

Kakashi slowly started to back up, raising his hands in a defensive manner. Suddenly he felt extremely small in front of his student, as if the gods had turned their backs on him until Sakura was finished with whatever she had planned for him. _"Tsunade," _he asked himself as he began to sweat, _"what have you created?"_

Hinata stood hunched over trying to get her ragged breathing under control. Things had not gone the way they were supposed to. This fight should have ended a long time ago and yet here they were facing off against this rogue water nin who was very good at attacking from the shadows. And by shadows she meant this accursed fog.

The woman had caught on as soon as they had drawn near and counter attacked by quickly dodging the clones in the fog and attacking randomly from different locations. The end result was just as Naruto had predicted, contradicting data flowing into him and his clones.

Quickly he stopped Hinata and formed another hundred clones to buy themselves some time.

"Naruto," Hinata said as they stood back to back once again, "we really need to do something about this fog." She tried to hide the desperation in her voice but she was physically drained and the thick fog was taking a psychological effect on her as well. From the deep recesses of her mind she could feel the self doubt and fear begin to slip into her consciousness and begin to eat away at her resolve. Gritting her teeth she tried to push those thoughts away. _"I'm stronger than this damnit!"_

"I know, I know." Naruto said gritting his teeth as well. "I'm out of ideas though!"

Truth be told, he hadn't even finished planning his last idea, it was just a desperate attempt to locate the woman and zero in on her.

"_I've got to think of something soon. Hinata is looking worse for wear and I'm not doing too well myself. This damn fog is just so thick!"_ Suddenly Naruto had an idea. To call it an idea would be a stretch, in fact it was more like a last ditch effort and the plan didn't go unnoticed.

"**Hey baka, you aren't honestly thinking about doing that are you?"**

"_What choice do I have? We can't see anything in this fog and I'm out of options!"_

Kyuubi groaned. **"How about you just die? That would be a lot less painful." **

Naruto couldn't help but smile at his prisoner's whining. _"Shut up and take it like a man! Besides, it's not like you're gonna feel it."_

"**A plan as idiotic as this? I'm bound to feel it…" **Kyuubi sighed heavily, **"God this is going to hurt!"**

"Naruto?"

Quickly pulled back to the reality, Naruto realized he had been silent for awhile as he argued with the Kyuubi and Hinata was still looking to him for an idea.

Taking a deep breath he spoke. "Hinata, I have an idea, it's risky, but I don't see any other way out right now."

There was a moment of silence before she responded. "What is it?"

"I'll handle it, but when I say 'now' I need you to jump away as far as you can, okay?"

Hinata hesitated for a moment. She had no idea what he was planning to do, but she had complete faith in him. All she could do was agree to what he asked.

"Okay."

"Good." Naruto said, determination filling his voice. Quickly he brought his hands together. "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Two clones formed next to him and he quickly held his hands down to his sides while his clones began to focus the chakra. _"It's now or never."_ he thought to himself. **"Yes, but are you sure it will work?"** Naruto smiled inwardly, _"How about I don't answer that and we just find out?"_ Kyuubi growled in frustration. **"Don't bother, I can read your thoughts too. Let's just focus on not dying."** Naruto silently agreed. Then he got an idea.

"_Hey Kyuubi, give me some of your chakra."_

"**Falling back on me already boy?"** Kyuubi sneered even though he knew the situation was much more serious.

"_No you stupid fox! Just give a little bit of your chakra. Focus it on my ears; maybe it will increase my hearing." _

Kyuubi thought for a moment. _**"Maybe the boy is on to something…"**_

"**Done. It's not much so make it count. Ever since your father fortified the seal I haven't been able to give you practically any chakra."**

Instantly Naruto felt the slight rush of hot demonic chakra begin to flow through him and up towards his ears. The world around him seemed to suddenly come alive, every lap of water at the pond's edge, every breathe Hinata took, every movement of his muscles contracting he could hear. _"This is incredible."_ he thought to himself. **"This is just a taste."** Kyuubi muttered. _"I know what your powers are capable of fox!"_ Naruto practically hissed. **"Yes," **retorted Kyuubi, **"but I've never actually given you complete control of my chakra before."**

Naruto wanted to ask what he meant by that but he was out of time. The attacks had abruptly picked up where they had left off earlier and the air was filled with the whistling of sharp ill-willed objects flying at them through the dense fog. Quickly his clones sprang into action, jumping in front of him and Hinata to absorb the blows of the kuni and shuriken directed at them. In an instant the objects plunged into the clones and dispersed them but not before absorbing everything that was a threat to the original and Hinata.

Holding his twin Rasengans out in front of him, Naruto began focusing his ears in on his surroundings and felt his blood ran cold with what he heard; the fast pace of steps on water and the faint, almost silent, hum of a blade slicing through the air. Except… it wasn't coming at him. Twisting around as quickly as he could, he did the only thing he could. Screaming Hinata's name, he jumped in front of her.

Hinata stood there in shock, frozen at what she saw before her eyes. Right in front of her no less than a foot away was Naruto slumped over a wakizashi. Her mind began racing a million miles a minute as she was bombarded with wave after endless wave of emotions. _"No! This can't be happening!"_

"N-Naruto!" was all she managed cry out.

Turning his head he looked over his shoulder at her, blood trickling down the side of his mouth and his eyelids looking heavy.

"Hinata…" he whispered. "Go now."

Unable to move, all she could do was shake her head as tears began to stream down her face. "I'm n-not going a-anywhere without y-you." she said as she tried to suppress the shuddering sobs rippling through her body.

The sides of his mouth upturned in a slight smile. "Hinata, you of all people should know that I'm not going to die-"

"-Before you become Hokage." Hinata finished with a small smile and tears still running down her cheeks.

Naruto chuckled but it turned to a cough as blood sprayed in a fine mist out of his mouth. _"Damn I hate getting stabbed!"_

"I hate to put a damper on your dreams boy, but it's over for you." The woman spoke coldly as she twisted the blade in him causing him to scream out in pain.

Looking up fiercely, Naruto spoke louder than what he was expecting to. "No, you're wrong. It's over for YOU!"

The Rasengan in his left hand had died out when had been stabbed but he managed to keep the other one going.

"Hinata MOVE!" Naruto screamed.

Grabbing the woman's shirt with his left hand he pulled her to him while at the same time driving the Rasengan straight into her face.

Hinata gathered herself quickly and focused her chakra down into her feet and legs. Jumping back, she was still far to close when the chakra wind explosion happened causing her to tumble through the air end over end. Hitting the water, she skipped and skipped for about ten yards before coming to a stop.

Immediately the thick fog began to dissipate and Hinata's could see again. Looking around and not finding Naruto she began to panic. Activating her Byakugan she quickly located him on the east side of the pond lying on the shore. And he wasn't moving.

"Naruto!"

Silence was the only answer. Then after a few seconds he groaned and sat up. Rubbing his head he winced, then looked over at her.

"It's okay Hinata…I'm fine."

Hearing this she let loose a breath she didn't even know she was holding. _"Thank the gods! That was too close."_ Her entire body was in pain but she knew she would live, but Naruto looked far worse. His jacket had been completely shredded and was clinging to his chest and shoulders. His left arm appeared to be fractured from the back blast of his attack, and he had multiple cuts all over his body, most notably was the huge gash across his right cheek which was bleeding profusely. Thankfully though, he would survive.

A sudden laugh brought them crashing back to reality. Looking out in front of her, Hinata saw the body of the woman that was floating in the water begin to stand up. As she, or it, did, her head began to reform from what appeared to be from only water.

"What are you?" Hinata whispered.

The woman laughed again. "I am Sashishio Shinsui, formerly from the land of Water." She turned her head to the side causing an audible pop to be heard as she cracked her neck. "What you just witnessed was the kekkei genkai of my clan; the ability to replace any part of our body with water to avoid damage. Although," she paused as she cracked her neck again, "that jutsu the boy used was something else. I'm going to be feeling that for at least a week. But on the bright side it looks like he took a good bit of his own attack."

"I may be down but I sure as hell am not out yet!" Naruto yelled as he struggled to his feet. Swaying for a moment he gained his footing and then broke into a shaky run straight at her.

"Doryūsō no Jutsu!"

Out of nowhere giant earthen spikes burst through the pond's surface everywhere forcing Naruto to leap back and land on the shore effectively cutting him off from Hinata. He was so distracted with the spikes that he didn't even notice the earthen human form rising up behind him, raise its club like arm, and bringing it down on his head. The last thing Naruto saw before the darkness closed in on him was Hinata screaming something.

Nadareru Yama had definitely had better days. Not only had the little blonde punk gotten the jump on him, but he also got knocked through the ringer as well. Bashing the back of the kid's skull in made him feel a little better though. Turning and looking out across the pond he saw his teammate about to face off against the Hyuuga girl.

"Shinsui," he called out tauntingly, "you look worse for wear."

Scowling at him she turned her head slightly to address her partner. "I could say the same for you. I thought blondie there had killed you."

Yama snickered under his mask. "His jutsu may be powerful, but it's incomplete."

Shinsui nodded slightly in agreement. "You didn't kill him did you? Madara-sama won't take too kindly to us killing the jinchūriki."

"No, he's only knocked out." Yama paused and then chuckled darkly to himself. "But he'll have one nasty migraine when he wakes up."

"Okay, keep an eye on him while I wrap this up. We've been here too long."

Turning her attention back to Hinata, her eyes burned fiercely in a sick kind of smile as she stared at the girl. "I guess that just leaves me and you now, _princess._"

Hinata felt the fear begin to seep into her mind and seize it. She felt frozen, her body was in pain and she felt completely helpless. Her breathing which was labored already became ragged and uneven as panic began to set in. _"Now's not the time to lose your nerve!"_ she tried to assure herself. _"Naruto needs you more than ever!"_

Forcing a smirk on her face she backed into her family's infamous Jyuuken stance. "I promise you," she spoke evenly with determination, "that's the last thing you want."

The woman laughed to herself as she slipped into her own stance, holding her wakizashi out in front of her. "We'll see about that."

They stood facing each other for three breathless seconds.

Three.

Hinata activated her Byakugan, examining the woman's layout of her chakra coils. Focusing her energy she prepared chakra in her legs and arms.

Two.

The air around the training ground fell deathly silent, the intensity of the situation closing in around the two oppressively as the stood staring each other down.

One.

The two kunoichi ready themselves for the inevitable, their muscles tensing for the battle that was about to take place only a heartbeat away.

Zero.

In one blink the woman had closed the distance between themselves. Shinsui brought her blade across horizontally aiming to decapitate Hinata and end the fight on the first strike. Hinata saw it coming and ducked under the blade, landing three quick chakra filled palm strikes to her chest and torso. To counter Shinsui threw a knee at her opponent's gut and when it was blocked she reversed her blade and brought it in rapidly in a stabbing manner. Although she wasn't looking directly at it, Hinata's Byakugan told her of the incoming blade and she quickly ducked again under the opposite arm with grace as her flexibility allowed her to move with agility and precision. Caught off guard Shinsui swung wildly with her blade but not before the Hyuuga heiress landed five quick and devastating palm strikes to her back; one to each kidney, one to the spine, and one to each shoulder blade.

Jumping backwards just far enough out of reach of the tenacious blade, Hinata prepared to finish the rogue nin. _"I've wasted enough energy already dodging this blade. It's time to end this!"_ Taking a quick deep breath she slid into a completely different stance catching Shinsui off guard yet again.

"Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms!"

Within five seconds Hinata had struck all sixty four of Shinsui's tenketsu. Hunching over in pain she collapsed into the water and for one brief moment Hinata allowed a genuine confident smile to cross her face. _"I have gotten stronger!"_ she celebrated silently. _"I just hope Naruto is okay…"_

She was quickly dragged from her thoughts though when she caught sight of the woman start to move and then slowly stand up; a crazed maniacal look in her eye as she began to laugh out of control.

"Did you forget already sweetie," she asked between breathes, "about my kekkei genkai?"

Dread immediately replaced Hinata's confidence as her only thought at that point was, _"Naruto, please help."_

Naruto was running down the same damn white washed hallways again. Turning a corner he didn't even bother to ask the nurse what room as he raced past her, planted his foot, and cut around another corner. _"Damnit! I need to figure this thing out!"_

Gritting his teeth he pushed himself to his limits, sprinting as fast as he could until he was in front of the door again. Not missing a beat walked to the door and in one fluid motion he had kicked and stepped through the door.

This time he saw Sakura standing in front of the bed while Sasuke was still standing by the window again.

"Sakura-chan…" he called softly to her.

Slowly, the pink haired green eyed girl turned around with tears streaming down her face and covered in blood once again. She started to fall but in a moment Naruto had appeared beside her and scooped her up in his arms and set her down lightly on the floor.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright?"

She merely shook her head slowly while the tears continued to fall. She shuddered slightly as she choked back a sob silently.

Looking up in panic he called out to Sasuke. Once again he turned his back on him but this time he said something different.

"Not yet…Not yet Naruto."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto cried out in confusion. "What do you mean, 'not yet'? Help me! Help Sakura!"

Slowly shaking his head he spoke again. "Not yet Naruto…Soon you will realize it…but…not yet."

Then, just like every other time before, he vanished through the window as he seemingly dematerialized.

The quiet whimpering brought Naruto's attention back to Sakura. Brushing the hair out of her face he tried to remain calm but he knew he couldn't. Not when the girl he cared about so much lie dying in his arms.

Trying to calm her he spoke softly, "It's okay Sakura, I'm here. You don't have to worry anymore."

Closing her eyes she spoke, barely audible. "I'm sorry Naruto…I've failed you…I've let you down…I'm so sorry."

Again another whimper escaped and she sobbed even harder as her tears increased.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto cooed, "it's okay. You haven't done anything wrong. Stop your crying, your whimpering, I'm here."

She shuddered harder this time as finally a sob escaped her lips. It rocked through her body as she cried as if she was guilty of same horrendous crime that she didn't mean to commit.

She whispered now, each word getting quieter than the last. "That…isn't…me…"

With that her body went slack in his arms and just as that happened he heard one last whimper coming from right above him. He froze. _"Who is that?"_ he asked himself shakily. The faint sound of water dripping on tile brought out of his frozen trance. _"No, not water…Blood."_ Naruto felt his stomach drop as right in front of him a steady drip of blood fell from the bed into a gathering pool on the tile. That's when, for the first time, he realized there was a third person in the room. Someone was lying in the hospital bed, whimpering and bleeding slowly, painstakingly slow, as if it was the last of their blood leaving their body and the quiet whimpers were a last desperate plea for help.

Slowly, Naruto raised up and with him his eye level but just before he could see the face of the person who was laying in the bed the floor gave out again and into the darkness he tumbled, consuming him completely. Naruto closed his eyes tightly as he cried out in a mix of frustration and torment, however, when he opened his eyes he found himself somewhere else entirely.

Opening his eyes slowly he found himself sitting on soft, green, luscious grass next to a small koi fish pond with lily pads and pink blossoms on top dotting it. Birds whistled cheerfully as they flew back and forth through the woods surrounding him and for the first time in a long time Naruto felt relaxed. Lying back against a tree, the shade blocked the bright warmth of the sun but it didn't matter, it all felt the same in this place even under the shade. He sighed contently as he closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the birds sing happily to each other as they flew about the branches of the forest.

"**This is no time to be sleeping boy."**

Naruto's eyes snapped open as he sat up with a start. Sitting in front of him, roughly the size of Akamaru, was a orange and black fox staring at him with an annoyed look on its face. However, the most distinguishing thing about the fox was it tail, or tails.

"_Seven, eight, nine. Oh Shit, it's -."_

"**Yes baka it's me!"** Kyuubi cried out exasperated. **"I pulled you out of your night terror so we could have a little talk."**

"Wait a minute." Naruto said slowly. "If you're Kyuubi why aren't you towering over me? And why aren't we in the sewers? And why aren't you locked up? Oh no, you escaped!"

Kyuubi sighed heavily. _**"This is going to take forever explaining this to this idiot."**_

Looking up at Naruto he spoke. **"Listen up boy I'm only going to say this once since we're short on time. I'm not locked up because this is your dream. Well, I fabricated this place because you were dreaming. When you dream I can come and go as I please, but because I find you annoying I usually never enter them. Therefore, since this is a dream I can choose which ever size I wish and whatever place I wish when I see you."** After looking around for a moment he added, **"And if it means getting out of those damn stinking sewers then you can expect a lot more visits, this place isn't half bad."** As he said this he lay down and stretched out in the sun. Once comfortable he looked at his host and asked, **"Did you get all of that baka?"**

Naruto's head hurt. It actually hurt. In a dream for god's sake! Contorting his face as he tried to process all the information, he finally gave up.

"To be honest…no." he admitted as Kyuubi groaned audibly. "But, because you said we are running short on time I'll accept what I hear as long as you promise to explain it later."

Kyuubi nodded. **"I promise kit."** Then, sitting back up he looked seriously at him. **"Now the reason I pulled you here is because I want to talk to you about this reoccurring dream you keep having. Do you have any idea what it means?"**

Naruto thought for moment and then spoke. "I'll be honest I have no idea what it means. I've heard somewhere that dreams can be messages sent from the subconscious, but I have no idea what the message is." He paused for a moment longer and stared at the koi fish in the pond. "You are able to get in touch with both sides of my conscious aren't you?" he asked.

Kyuubi nodded.

"So then you could tell me what the message is right?"

Once again Kyuubi nodded.

"So what does it mean then?"

Kyuubi inhaled deeply and then let it out. **"I don't know kit."**

"What do you mean you don't know?" Naruto shouted. He could feel his anger starting to rise.

"**I don't know it's weird. Usually I can understand the messages your subconscious sends but this one is…different."**

"So we're both clueless then." Naruto said disheartened staring down at the grass in front of him.

Kyuubi nodded quietly, and then stiffened up suddenly, ears erect and his tails spreading out. Naruto noticed and looked up at him questioningly.

"What's wrong? What is it?"

"**Our time is up."** Kyuubi said looking back at Naruto. **"I have already taken the liberty of healing you while you've been unconscious." **

Naruto stood up and just stared at Kyuubi, he was shocked that the demon fox was being so…nice.

"Thanks." Was all he managed to get out.

Kyuubi just shrugged it off. **"Just be ready, when you come to you're going to have to move and think fast." **Then he smiled sinisterly after a moment.** "I sense that Hyuuga weakling is about at her limit." **

Naruto felt the dread in the pit of his stomach begin to spread quickly throughout the rest of his body. His thoughts began to race. _"I've been unconscious this entire time which means that Hinata is fighting both of those ninjas right now. She may be strong but the level of skill they're at is too much for even her."_

Kyuubi's grin grew even bigger as he read Naruto's thoughts, his sharp, white, pointed teeth revealing themselves from underneath his orange haired muzzle.

"**Better hurry, you haven't gotten much time now. The finishing blow should be coming any moment now." **Then with a laugh Kyuubi disappeared and with him the once relaxing forest that surrounded them.

Panic set in as Naruto began to fear the worst. With the darkness quickly setting in around him he had one thing on his mind.

"HINATA!"


	4. Demon Released

**Author Note: Hey guys, back again! I have to admit this was a bit tricky to write because of the action but I'm pretty happy with it. There are two things I would like to address to you the readers though.**

**1****st**** – I just about fainted when I logged on a few hours later after uploading Chapter 3 to see that it had already amassed over 400 hits! The problem you ask? I only have 11 reviews! I'm not asking you to review so I can up my stats; I want to know what you're thinking! Trust me, I care. Nevertheless, because of Chapter 3 I have surpassed the 1,000 hit mark so thank you for caring and reading my story!**

**2****nd**** – I would just like to give a heads up that this next chapter is going to be graphic. Lemon? You ask…No, just an intense fight sequence. That being said this story is rated M for a reason.**

**On one other note this chapter is slightly shorter than the others. The reason being that after the fight it needed to end. Now that that's out of the way, enjoy! So please, R&R!**

**Chapter 4: Demon Released**

Hinata was at her limit. No, she was beyond her limit. Standing there hunched over she no longer had the chakra to even keep her Byakugan activated. Her left arm, which had already been injured, was even worse now because of when the rogue water nin had managed to get the jump on her and open a gash from her shoulder down to her elbow. She was sure that she had dislocated her right elbow when she had blocked a kick without having time to reinforce it with chakra and from the way it pained her to breathe, she knew she had a few broken ribs. Just forcing herself to stand was causing her legs to shake and the steady loss of blood from her arm told her she didn't have long before she lost consciousness.

"_It can't end like this! I've worked so hard for him to notice me!"_ Tears began to trickle down her face as her emotions got the best of her. She was tired, bleeding, and in excruciating pain, so it was no surprise when endorphins pumping through her body finally caused her resolve to snap. Her legs giving out, she slumped to her knees as her peripheral vision began to blur, unsure if it was from the tears or the loss of blood that formed a red island around her in the water. _"I'm sorry Naruto…"_ she cried silently to herself. _"I did my best…I'm sorry it wasn't enough."_ With that Hinata's last bit of chakra gave out, and losing consciousness she slipped into the water and began to sink.

Seeing that the girl was finally down for good, Shinsui wasted no time in quickly grabbing the girl before she could sink out of reach. Dragging her up by an arm out of the water, she held Hinata up at eye level and smiled evilly.

* * *

><p>"…Hinata…" Naruto whispered to no one in particular. His eyes were still closed and his head was pounding like hell. He tried to move but as soon as he did he felt a heavy foot stomp down hard on his chest causing him to grunt in pain.<p>

"And just where do you think _you're_ going?"

Naruto opened his eyes to see the silhouette of man towering over him and his rather large foot on his chest. Lifting his foot off of Naruto's chest he bent down and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up off the ground.

"Glad you decided to wake up." He said in almost a whisper, his voice laced with malcontent. "I told you I'd let you watch the girl die before I dealt with you." He laughed viciously as Naruto turned his head slightly and his eyes widen in horror when he saw the woman holding an unconscious Hinata up by an arm.

Slowly, painfully slow, she raised her wakizashi to Hinata's throat. With each beat of Naruto's heart the blade grew closer and closer to slicing through exposed unprotected tissue that gave Hinata the ability to breathe.

There was nothing Naruto could do and he knew it. No matter how fast he moved he would be too late to save her. _"Kyuubi help me!"_

In the back of his mind he heard the last answer he wanted to hear.

"**No."**

"What the fuck do you mean 'No'?" Naruto cried out loud in fury, surprising Yama and causing Shinsui to hesitate for a moment to glance over her shoulder at the two.

"**I mean no as in, no, I can't help you! Your father reinforced the seal on your stomach remember? All I can do is heal you. You're completely cut off from my power!"**

"Look at him, he's finally snapped!" Yama said laughing.

Shinsui laughed as well as she turned back to an unconscious Hinata and prepared to cut her head off in one fluid motion.

Crazed and desperate Naruto acted completely on impulse. Focusing chakra into each of his fingers on his right hand he jabbed them into the seal on his stomach.

"GOD DAMIT!" he screamed, "I SAID GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING POWER!"

* * *

><p>In the depths of the sewers Kyuubi lay there miserable, wanting to help the boy he had grown to care about but unable to. Hearing the last words from Naruto echo through his cage he growled out of anger for being so helpless. Suddenly a soft blue light appeared at the spot where the cage was sealed. Looking up hesitantly, Kyuubi moved closer out of curiosity. In a flash a blue hand consisting of nothing but pure chakra shot out of the light and latched onto Kyuubi's left shoulder, digging into his body. Finding what it wanted, it quickly withdrew to the seal pulling out Kyuubi's own red chakra with it.<p>

Crying out in pain, rage, and astonishment, Kyuubi watched in amazement and horror as part of his chakra stretched away from his body, strained for a moment, then tore away and disappeared through the seal. As soon as his chakra was through the seal the light disappeared and all was dark in his cage again. But on the outside Kyuubi could feel the rage, hate, and raw power coursing through Naruto's body and just like with Pain, he wasn't holding back.

"_**Kid," **_he thought to himself,_** "it looks like I'm not the only demon inside you."**_

* * *

><p>Sakura, Kiba, and Akamaru were running through the woods when they heard the explosion, stopping them in their tracks. Looking up Sakura felt dread envelop her as a red beam of chakra shot up into the air and sudden flash backs of the battle with Pain played before her eyes.<p>

"This is not good." She said turning to look at the other two. "We need to find Yamato sensei and tell him what's happening."

As if on cue a shadow passed over head and looking up they saw a strange white bird flying through the air with her other teammate, Sai, and Yamato on its back making a hard line straight for the source of the chakra.

Without missing a beat all three of them took off following the bird. Sprinting as fast as they could, they watched the bird dispel fifty yards in front of them and the two passengers land on a tree below them. Quickly they arrived to find the other two standing on a branch. Leaping up they landed next to them.

"Sai, Yamato sensei, what's going on?" Sakura asked quickly.

"That's a good question." Sai said turning to look at her. "Yamato sensei and I were training when all of a sudden his hand started to burn with the number six inscribed on it."

Kiba looked at Yamato. "Is this true?"

"Unfortunately it is." He answered gravely. "There is a clearing up ahead where the training ground thirteen is. From what I can tell that's where Naruto is. We need to proceed with extreme caution but get there as quickly as we can, the last thing we need is for the village to fall under attack again."

Nodding, the five of them took off in the direction that Yamato had indicated towards. When they reached the clearing they all froze in their tracks.

"Oh my god." Sakura whispered in fear. "We have to help them!" Rushing forward she was quickly halted by Yamato.

"Stop!" he quietly commanded. "Naruto has already transformed and judging by the looks of it, those two ninja are to blame. All we can do now is wait for it to end and pray that he calms down afterwards." Shifting his gaze from the others he looked out at the scene that was about to play out. "May the gods have mercy on their souls."

What they saw next would haunt their memories for the rest of their lives.

* * *

><p>The power that erupted from Naruto as he grabbed control of the Kyuubi was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Looking behind him he saw that he had six deep red tails fanning out and attached to where his tailbone was. <em>"How can this be?" <em>he asked himself. _"I have never been able to control six tails worth of power before. This feels so much different than before though, like it's my own chakra. It feels…good."_

Looking at his body he saw that he had the same classic deep red layer of chakra over his body protecting him like armor. Turning his gaze out to the pond, he saw a stunned Shinsui standing with her mouth gaping open. Hinata lay floating on her back in the water in her own blood having been dropped when the chakra erupted from his body.

Hearing a groan to his left he looked to the side to see the earth ninja standing up slowly in pain. Anger suddenly ripped through his body as he remembered what the man had said to him.

"_I told you I'd let you watch the girl die."_

They attacked them for no reason. They threatened Hinata because she was with him. His body began to shake as pent up rage began to scream to make them pay for what they did to Hinata. His anger was pushing him into the darkness, he could feel himself slipping but it wasn't into the Kyuubi's control. No, it was into his own darkness. His own hate was what was consuming him now and he didn't care. Turning to face the man Naruto finally gave into his anger. Having finally acquired a target he released his rage.

"RRRRRAAAAGGGHHHHH!" was all Naruto was able to get out as the ground under him cracked from the sheer amount of force he used to push off towards the man.

Before Yama could react, before he could even blink his eyes, he felt fiery hot pain rip through his chest. In the time it took for his heart to beat once the creature in front of him had closed the distance between them and now had both of his hands buried in his chest. Coughing up blood he gasped for air and in pain as the creature's hands began to burn his insides alive. Screaming in agony he felt himself being lifted off the ground, his vision becoming dark as he felt his insides literally begin to sizzle and cook inside of him.

Naruto was relishing the pain he had this man in; the bastard deserved to suffer and he was more than happy to be the cause of it. Raising Yama off the ground, Naruto smiled insanely under his mask of deep red chakra as the screams of agony reached his ears. In one quick motion he jammed his right hand deeper into Yama's chest grabbed the round organ he was looking for and pulled it out.

Yama's eyes widened in horror as he realized that he was staring at his own beating heart. For a split second the only noise was the sound of the man's heart still beating in Naruto's hand. The next second it was gone, crushed in Naruto's hand causing an explosion of blood to erupt from the man's throat. The man's lifeless form spasmed violently and then went limp in Naruto's hand but he wasn't done. Jamming his right hand back into his body where his left hand already was, he found the man's backbone. Grasping the boney column in each hand he pulled against it, screaming again until a sick dull crack was heard followed by the tearing of flesh and entrails as Naruto pulled Yama's body apart in a bloody fountain of spray. Tossing the pieces to the side he slowly turned on Shinsui.

After watching her partner literally get torn to pieces in a matter of seconds, Shinsui knew she was in trouble. Desperate for a way out, she grabbed Hinata and held her blade to the girl's throat.

"If you take one more step towards me the girl dies!" She yelled hoping that she didn't sound as desperate as what she was feeling.

Naruto cocked his head to the side and sat back on his haunches. Raising his fist plunged it down into the earth. There was a moment's pause, then out of nowhere Naruto's fist burst through the water between Hinata and Shinui landing a devastating upper cut. Completely caught off guard the blow crushed her jaw bone and she choked on her own teeth as she went spiraling up into the air as Hinata fell away unharmed.

Within seconds Naruto had raced across the pond, scooped up Hinata, and brought her back to shore. Setting her down gently, he examined her body's condition closely. She had multiple cuts and a particular nasty gash that ran from her left shoulder down to her elbow. However, the worst part was her extremely low chakra level that was bordering zero. He knew she didn't have long before she would be past the point of help.

"_Kyuubi, I need your help."_

Kyuubi's voice appeared somewhere from the recesses of Naruto's mind. **"I can't do anything boy."**

"_God damnit! Why not?"_

"**Because the girl is almost completely out of chakra, she's basically running on fumes now. Her chakra coils are failing her."**

Naruto's rage rose higher due to his helpless situation, his emotions so out of control that he began to make himself bleed because his claw like fingers were squeezing so hard in fists.

"_We have to do something! I can't let her die, I won't allow it! I care too much about this girl to lose her."_

"**I know you do kit."**

Kyuubi closed his eyes as he half heartedly tried to find a solution. He hated to see Naruto like this; he hated the desperation he was feeling because of the boy. Feeling Naruto's emotions every day had definitely caused him to become more empathetic. He didn't want to admit it but he cared for the Hyuuga girl too, at the moment probably more than Naruto himself. He knew that she had suffered just as Naruto had and that she drew her strength from Naruto, and, when she found out about Kyuubi living inside of Naruto, accepted both of them.

"**I'm sorry kit but this is it for her. Chakra coils are weird sensitive things, once it starts to fail its game over."**

Naruto closed his eyes in an attempt to block out the tears he felt forming. It didn't stop them and as they fell onto his cheeks they sizzled away due to the tremendous amount of heat coming off of his body. He knelt there beside Hinata as he felt the tears evaporate away.

"_Fading away, that's all she's doing right now…Just fading away and there's nothing I can do."_

It was an overload of emotions for Naruto; rage, despair, helplessness, sadness, all tearing and eating away at him on the inside. Just when he had finally found someone that accepted him for who he was, before the Pain incident not afterwards, and loved him unconditionally, was about to die before his very eyes and there was nothing he could do about it.

"_I can't do this. I can't handle this much pain, Kyuubi. My heart just can't take it…"_

In an instant Kyuubi's and Naruto's eyes snapped open as the same thought crossed both of their minds.

"_Do you think it will work?"_ Naruto asked hopefully, desperate for a yes.

"**I have no idea but it's worth a try. At this point what do we have to lose?"**

Naruto nodded grimly at what Kyuubi said. _"So how do we do it? A slow steady stream won't work, it isn't fast enough. It has to be big and fast."_

Kyuubi nodded at what the blonde haired ninja said. **"That's true. I have an idea so just go along with what I say, okay?"**

_You got it."_

"**Okay good. Now do as I saw and be quick, we don't have much time left."**

* * *

><p>Sakura felt as if she was going to feint in horror as she watched Naruto work over Hinata. Naruto quickly tore away the mesh armor that covered Hinata's stomach and leaned in closely as he appeared to examine it for a moment and then actually sniffed her, as if he was looking for something. Then, holding his left hand vertical out in front of him he brought one of his tails out and pointed it directly at the hand about five inches away. Suddenly chakra began to drip off of the tail and gravitate towards his hand forming a small dense ball of chakra. He continued until the entire tail had melted away and had formed a sphere in his hand. As the six tail melted away, the thick red chakra armor around Naruto dissipated away until a loose cloud of red transparent chakra surrounded him instead.<p>

Sakura had no idea what was going on but she suddenly became concerned for Hinata's safety. This escalated even further when Naruto took the sphere and placed it about an inch above Hinata's stomach, slightly above her belly button. Standing up quickly, Sakura was about to burst from their hiding spot when she felt a pair of jaws clamp down on her ankle and three pairs of hands grab her arms and other leg.

Looking at them wildly she couldn't understand what they were thinking.

"What is wrong with you?" she practically yelled. "We need to stop him before he kills Hinata!"

She struggled to break free but froze immediately when she heard her sensei's commanding voice.

"Sakura that's enough."

Turning her head, she looked pleadingly at Yamato.

"But sensei, he's about to kill her!"

"We don't know that for sure Sakura." Kiba said quickly and quietly. "Did you notice how he no longer has six tails? Now he's down to five and his chakra armor is no longer surrounding him."

"Besides," Yamato said as his face became grim, "even if we wanted to, I don't think we could stop Naruto. I've been studying him since we've arrived and although it has the Kyuubi's signature chakra it isn't controlled by the Kyuubi. It appears as if Naruto has ripped the chakra away from the Kyuubi and is in control of it. I can't seal it since it isn't in controlled by the Kyuubi. Plus, if Naruto was angry enough to steal chakra from the Kyuubi then he may be in such a rage that he would attack us."

Images of when Naruto attacked her at the bridge when Orochimaru taunted him flashed before Sakura's eyes and she suddenly felt helpless and embarrassed for trying to rush into a dangerous situation.

"But what if he kills her? We can't just stand by and do nothing!" Sakura knew that Hinata was important to everyone, especially Kiba and Akamaru since they were on the same team.

"That is true." Sai said quietly yet deliberately. "But shouldn't we trust in our teammate to do the right thing? Don't forget how he acted when he fought Pain with Hinata right there next to him."

Sakura was utterly dumbfounded at what Sai said. He wasn't known for being very emotional or even understanding them very well but at the moment he was acting more emotionally mature and like a teammate than she was.

Nodding dumbly Sakura knelt back down next to her companions and a collective sigh was heard. Turning their attention back to Naruto they felt their blood run cold as they watched Naruto do the unthinkable, and Sakura was forced to clamp her hands over her mouth to suppress the scream she felt in her throat. Horrified, they watched as Naruto raised his right hand above his left and then brought it down quickly, slamming it into his left hand and forcing the ball of chakra one third of the way into Hinata's stomach. The jolt of energy caused Hinata's body to jump briefly and she did so two more times as Naruto hammered the ball of red demon chakra all the way inside of her stomach.

Before any of them could react, Sakura had burst from their hiding spot hell bent on punishing Naruto.

"NARUTO!" she screamed, "How could you?"

The last thing she remembered as she cocked her fist back was Naruto glancing over his shoulder and a mixture of annoyance and concern flicker across his face. The next second there was a blur as something slammed into her chest, sending her rocketing back the way she came. Lucky for Sakura though, Sai and Kiba both caught her as she flew back towards them, but they skidded several feet back in a trail of dust and only managed to stay upright by focusing chakra in their feet. Not even a second after Sakura had reached her teammates was there an explosion followed by a soft rain covering the immediate area.

"That's it, we're going in." Yamato ordered and with that Yamato, Kiba, Akamaru, and Sai charged ahead.

* * *

><p>"<em>Are you sure this will work?"<em> Naruto asked with concern.

"**The hell if I know, but what do we have to lose?"** retorted Kyuubi.

Naruto didn't say anything after that; he just performed according to Kyuubi's instructions.

"**Don't forget, it has to be fast with no distractions or pauses."** Kyuubi reminded him.

Naruto gulped. _"Well, there's no holding back now."_

With three quick hard hits Naruto pounded the chakra ball directly into Hinata's chakra coil in an attempt to jump start it.

For a few breathless seconds Naruto watched Hinata's unconscious face. Then, finally, her eyes slowly opened and came into focus.

"N-Naruto?" she whispered quietly.

Naruto let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and smiled. "It's okay Hianta-chan, I'm here." he said softly. "You're going to be fine."

However, no sooner had the words left his lips did Hinata's face suddenly contort in pain and she screamed out in pure agony as her body began to spasm wildly. Before he could react though, an unpleasant voice reached his ears.

"Suiryūdan no Jutsu!"

Looking up quickly, Naruto stomach dropped as he saw the female water ninja standing thirty yards in front of him with her hands held together in the bird sign, the next second a giant dragon made completely of water formed around her and shot straight towards Naruto and Hinata. Unfortunately things got even more complicated when he heard a second voice behind him.

"NARUTO! How could you?"

Glancing wildly over his shoulder, Naruto's stomach dropped even further when he saw Sakura charging at him madly with her fist raised. Time seemed to slow down as the cross fire aimed at Naruto slowly closed in.

"_Wonderful, not only does she want to kill me, but she's going to be in the direct line of fire from that jutsu!"_

"**Let's just take this one step at a time. Cover the Hyuuga girl, get your annoying teammate out of the way, then we'll kill that water bitch."**

"_Sounds great and all but I can't do two things at once!" _

"**Just cover the girl and leave your teammate to me."** Kyuubi growled.

Naruto didn't have time to argue, the water jutsu was barreling down on top of him so he leaned over Hinata and pulled her close to him making sure to protect her head and neck and waited for the inevitable attack that was about to strike. Just before it did he felt four of his tails come up and cover his back and head while the fifth tail shot out somewhere behind him and smacked something away. Before he could ask what it was he felt the insane pressure of the jutsu crushing down on top of him drenching him and Hinata and causing water to spray everywhere.

Looking up slowly he saw that he and Hinata were now hunkered down in a small crater created from the pressure of the jutsu and they were now alone. Standing up shakily, he held Hinata close in his arms bridal style in the best protective way he could manage. For the time being, Hinata's screams of pain had subsided to whimpers.

"Hinata." He called softly looking at her.

Her eyes opened for a brief second and then closed again but it was all it took to cause Naruto to gasp in horror. Hinata's once beautiful soft lavender eyes were now a bright blood red color.

"_Kyuubi!"_ Naruto hissed, _"What the hell is wrong with Hinata?"_

"**There's no time to explain."** Kyuubi said quickly. **"She needs to get to the hospital now. At the most, we've bought her an extra hour."**

Before Naruto could demand an explanation he heard another voice.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned around quickly to see his sensei, Kiba, Amakaru, and Sai facing him all in slightly defensive positions.

"Yamato-sensei, what are you doing here? How did you find us?" he asked.

"It's okay Naruto," Yamato said slowly, "we're not here to fight you. We're here to help."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked incredulously. "Ah! I don't have time for this!"

Before anyone could move, Naruto closed the distance between himself and his sensei.

"Here," he said as he thrust Hinata a little unceremoniously into Yamato's arms, "she needs to get to the hospital _now._"

He could see the concern in Kiba's face and Akamaru whimpered lightly.

"It's okay," Naruto said reassuringly, "she'll be fine if you leave now. Sakura can monitor her on the way there. Speaking of which…where is Sakura-chan?"

The rest of the group looked at Naruto in surprise.

"You mean you don't remember?" Kiba asked.

"What are you talking about? Remember what?" Naruto asked scratching the back of his head.

"You attacked Sakura when she charged you only a few moments ago. We left her unconscious in the bushes back there." Sai said evenly.

"What are tal-" Naruto stopped short.

"_Kyuubi…do you have any idea what they are talking about?"_

"**Heh, maybe."** Kyuubi said with a slight nervous laugh.

"_You mean to tell me that you consciously attacked my teammate?"_ Naruto's voice becoming dangerously poisonous.

"**I didn't have a choice!"** Kyuubi yelled in exasperation, **"We were crunched for time so I got her out of the way as fast as I could. Granted that it was a little hard but the bitch did kind of deserve it."**

"_I don't give a shit! You should have been gentler!"_

"**Well if I hadn't there would be a good chance she wouldn't even be here **_**boy.**_**" **With a huff he receded from Naruto's mind.

"Naruto?" Yamato asked with worry evident in his voice.

Scratching the back of his head Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Sorry guys, but if I didn't get her out of the way then she would've been hit by the jutsu. I guess I got caught up in the moment and was a little rough." Then his voice and face turned serious. "But right now I need you to get Hinata-chan to the hospital."

"First I want you to explain some things." Yamato said with authority. "I'm still your sensei and I want answers."

Hinata, who had been silent for the entire conversation, suddenly yelped out in pain and whimpered loudly while trembling.

"In case you haven't noticed, Hinata is in extreme pain. She needs to see a doctor immediately." Naruto said as the frustration in his voice rose.

"I can see that and we will just as soon as you explain yourself." Yamato retorted slightly irritated.

"But she is in serious trouble!" Naruto yelled as his anger began to creep back.

"I can see that, but first you're going to quickly answer some questions of mine."

"I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT YOUR QUESTIONS!" he screamed as the demon chakra swirled around him and his tails began to sway more violently back and forth. "Right now I need you to get her to the hospital! I promise I'll explain everything to you when I get there!"

Stunned silence was the only thing to answer Naruto as the group stood there staring at him in shock. The only thing heard was Hinata's whimpers and finally Kiba broke the silence.

"Come on sensei, let's just get Hinata to the hospital. I trust Naruto to explain everything when he gets back."

Yamato was quiet for a moment and then sighed. "Okay, but just this once."

"Thank you, sensei, now please hurry." Naruto said relieved as he began to turn around to leave.

"Naruto." Yamato's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Yes sensei?" Naruto asked with his back turned.

"Just this once I'm letting it go. If you ever speak to me again like you just did there will be consequences."

Naruto's shoulders tensed, not in fear but in anger, his fists clenching together tightly. "Just get her to the hospital." he said with a strained voice and started to walk away.

"Don't worry, we will Naruto." Kiba said with determination.

"Where are you going?" Sai asked.

Still walking away, Naruto raised his hand to his mouth and wiped away the blood that was still on his chin. Without turning around he spoke, his voice now dark and laced with venom and his body radiating killer intent. "To go even the score."

In the blink of an eye Naruto had vanished before the group.

"God, that kid can be scary sometimes." Kiba exhaled.

"No," Yamato said with as much fear as admiration in his voice, "that man can be scary sometimes."

With a collective nod they quickly gathered up Hinata and Sakura and made their way quickly to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Shinsui's brain was going crazy as she raced through the forest away from her opponent. Not only had she lost her partner, but she now had to report to Madara that her mission was a complete failure. She sighed and picked up her pace.<p>

"Madara-sama is not going to be pleased with this." She said to no one in particular.

"No he isn't." A voice rang out through the trees.

Shinsui skidded to a halt and immediately went into a defensive position, straining to sense where the voice came from.

"Then again," the voice continued, this time closer, "I'll make sure you don't have to tell him."

Looking up above her, she saw her target standing on a tree limb twenty feet up in the air.

Shinsui smiled. "Not bad brat, I didn't think you were still alive. But now you are all alone and nothing can stop me from completing my mission."_ "I still may be able to call this a success after all."_

Naruto smiled back at her evilly causing Shinsui to take a slight step back.

"That may be true." he said casually, "But, I came prepared this time."

With a sudden burst of energy the red chakra cloak enveloped him again and the five tails flailed freely behind him.

Shinsui chuckled. "You think that can stop me? I know what you're capable of and in that form you have no hope. You caught me off guard once but it won't happen again. I will beat you"

Naruto smirked at her and for some reason that was enough to silence the forest around them and cause Shinsui's confidence to fade.

"I doubt that." Naruto said quietly. "But as I said, I came prepared just in case."

With that he raised his right index and ring finger vertically out in front of him.

"Release!"

In an instant, Naruto's demon chakra seemed to calm down and become more placid. Around his eyes orange circles appeared and his eyes themselves now had a horizontal slits as well as a vertical slits.

Naruto smiled again, this time full of confidence. "Allow me to introduce the nine tailed sage mode."

Shinsui couldn't move. She was actually afraid, _her_ actually_ afraid_ of this boy. _"No,"_ she thought, _"This is no boy. I don't know what he is."_

Up in the tree Naruto stared down his opponent, no, his prey. His anger had pushed him to the edge and he was near the point of collapsing. _"My sage mode will only last five minutes and judging from how much chakra I pulled from Kyuubi that only has about five minutes left as well. I need to finish this thing quick."_

Digging deep, he prepared chakra in his legs and quickly flashing his smirk again he pushed off from the limb and closed the distance between the two in less than a second.

Shinsui jumped back just in time to doge the devastating blow that left a crater where she once stood. Without even looking at her, one of Naruto's tails shot forward and wrapped around Shinsui's arm. Before she could counter it, it slingshoted her back towards Naruto who was waiting to deliver the finishing blow. Closing her eyes, Shinsui tapped into her bloodline limit and at the last second she turned her chest into water and drew her blade out in front of her just in time to feel the water explode out her back from the impact of the blow.

Opening her eyes she expected to see her blade sunk to the hilt in the jinchūriki's chest. What she saw instead amazed and shocked her. Naruto's hand never actually touched her; in fact, it was a good five inches away from her chest with the tip of her sword just poking his chest.

"H-How?" was all Shinsui could get out.

"That's the beauty of natural chakra. When in sage mode I can manipulate it to be an extension of my body."

In one quick motion he disarmed her and then had three other tails grab the remaining arm and legs. Shinsui tried to use her bloodline limit again to get out of the imprisonment but she couldn't. Instead, all she felt was a burning numbness spreading throughout her limbs.

"You bastard! What have you done to me?" She cried out desperately as she struggled to free herself.

"And that," Naruto said with an evil smile, "is the beauty of the Kyuubi's chakra. It's rather, how do I put it, unrefined, rough, and unfiltered. To put it simply, the Kyuubi's chakra is like a virus. It is invading and overcoming the chakra in your limbs making them completely useless."

Shinsui felt a shiver of fear run up her spine causing Naruto to laugh.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you." Naruto said rather unconvincingly. "You still have a promise to keep, all that information up there in your head could be very vital to me and my village. So…" Naruto trailed off as he slipped his hand into his pouch and pulled out a seal tag. "…I think I shall accompany you back to my village so I can personally introduce you to the head of our interrogations department."

With that, Naruto slapped the sealing tag on Shinsui's forehead and she immediately went limp. No sooner had this happened did Naruto's demon chakra and sage chakra flicker out causing both Naruto and Shinsui to collapse to the ground.

After catching his breath, Naruto slowly pulled himself to his feet, slung Shinsui over his shoulder, and began to run back the way he came. The only thing on his mind now was a lavender eyed girl fighting for her life, and he was going to make damn sure he would be there to do anything he possible could to help.


	5. The Forbidden Seal

**Author Note: Hey guys, I'm back with another installment! To be honest this was supposed to be a bit of an easy going chapter but as I was writing it, it seemed to get more and more intense. So next chapter will be more easy going and explain things that you want answers to. I would also like to say thank you for the reviews, honestly people they keep me motivated and you're inputs help me with my story. Therefore I would like to respond to a few. **

**UltimateUnknown- I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying my writing and you think it's well developed both in plot and character. I promise that I hadn't been playing Mortal Kombat. As for the bloodlust that Naruto displayed, there is a reason for that. I'm with you, I don't see Naruto that way but I wanted to show a side of Naruto that could come out if he was truly pushed over the edge.**

**Ppsh- Thanks and I agree, which is why it may be sticking around.**

**Vanorkt- Don't forget he still had to go after Shinsui but I agree, Yamato was being a dick.**

**On a final note, I've decided to release the new chapters on Fridays so that everyone will hopefully have time to enjoy the new chapters without having to worry about work or classes. **

**To the rest of you thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R&R!**

**Chapter 5: The Forbidden Seal**

"Get a surgery team together!"

"Right away!" a nurse yelled.

"Get a stretcher over here NOW!"

"It's already here, help me with her." said another.

"Clear a room in the O.R!"

"The room is open and prepped!" a third nurse yelled.

"Good, let's move out! Sakura."

Sakura looked up from her daze at her peer, Shizune. "Yes?"

"Are you okay? We could use all the help we can get with this, especially since Lady Tsunade is still in a coma." The strain in Shizune's voice from being overburdened with work was evident.

"Yes I'm fine, I can help." Sakura said.

"Good." Shizune said with a sigh of relief, "Come with me and tell me what you know."

As the two medical nins raced down the hallway Sakura filled Shizune in on what she knew.

"So you're telling me," Shizune said in disbelief, "that Naruto forced chakra into Hinata?"

"Yes." Sakura said with slight concern. "I don't know why he did though. When we arrived she was already unconscious and Naruto was…" She trailed off not wanting to let slip that Naruto transformed again. "The point is when we arrived he was forcing a ball of chakra into her."

Shizune nodded. "Okay, let's see what the analysis team can tell us."

Bursting through the white double doors the two women walked over to the bed where a team of three medical nins were busy working to prepare for surgery. One had hooked up an I.V., heart monitor, and placed a sleeping jutsu on Hinata while the other two were busy inspecting her body and healing superficial wounds.

"Report!" Shizune barked.

"Patient is prepped and ready for surgery." replied the female nurse who had been hooking up the I.V.

"The patient is suffering from extreme chakra exhaustion." said the male nurse.

"That's putting it lightly." replied the female nurse working next to him. "In actuality, she should be dead. She has no chakra left in her coils whatsoever."

Both Shizune and Sakura's mouth opened in shock.

"How is she even still alive then?" asked Sakura in almost a whisper.

"There's…something else." The female nurse said shuffling uncomfortably.

"And that is?" Shizune demanded.

The two nurses working on Hinata glanced at each other and remained quiet.

"Damnit, answer me!"

"I think it's best if you see for yourselves." the nurse who had hooked up the I.V. replied quietly.

Quickly walking over, Sakura and Shizune brought their hands out and over Hinata's chest and stomach. After a few moments of searching they both found what the other nurses were talking about causing Sakura to gasp audibly and Shizune's eyes to widen in shock.

"_How can this even be?"_ Sakura asked. _"Her chakra coils have expanded nearly three times the size they were before."_ But there was more to it than just that. As Sakura looked more closely at the coils she saw that where the addition to the coils had been made it was not the typical blue color. Instead the color was red. _"But then again,"_ she thought, _"the only chakra inside her at the moment is red. Where is all her chakra?"_

"Shizune," Sakura spoke quickly, "is this what I think it is?"

Shizune gulped slightly and nodded. "Yes, it appears so. It looks as if all of Hinata's chakra has been used and has been replaced by this red chakra." She looked up at Sakura. "If my memory serves me correct, isn't the only person in the village with red chakra Naruto?"

Sakura nodded slowly.

Shizune's eyes widened in horror at the thought of Naruto forcing the demon chakra into Hinata, "W-Why would he do such a thing?" she whispered.

"Because I didn't have a choice."

Everyone's head snapped around towards the door to see Naruto standing in blood stained rags and a determined yet grim look on his face.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked slightly fearful.

"Explain yourself." Shizune said a little harder than she meant to.

Naruto gave her a hard look shutting her up and crossed the room to the bed quickly and silently. Looking at Hinata's face for a moment he then quickly looked over at Sakura.

"What's her situation?"

Hesitating for a second she spoke. "Hinata's organs are slowly failing her and her chakra has been depleted down to nothing-"

"-I know this already Sakura," Naruto interrupted, "tell me what I don't know."

Stunned, Sakura couldn't believe that he had just spoken to her like that.

Looking her in the eyes, his expression grew softer. "Please Sakura, I want to help."

Nodding she continued, "It appears that through the course of being directly injected with the Kyuubi's chakra, Hinata's chakra coils expanded drastically. There was slight damage to them from the rapid expansion, but nothing too serious." Sakura sighed. "However, as I said before she has no chakra left, at most five percent. The only reason she is alive is because of the demon chakra, but while it's keeping her alive at the same time it's slowly killing her, like some kind of slow acting but very efficient poison. If she had her own chakra, she could combat the demon chakra and neutralize it, but…" Her voice trailed off as the realization sunk into everyone.

The entire time Sakura was talking Naruto had remained silent, taking it all in with his eyes fixed intensely on Hinata.

"..what…" he whispered, "…what can I do?" Tears began to stream down his face as his body began to shudder slightly.

Tears forming in her eyes as well, Sakura turned and put a hand on his shoulder. "Nothing." she replied, "There's nothing we can do. All that we can do now is make her as comfortable as possible. She only has a few hours left." The tears began to fall freely now, sliding down her cheeks.

The only sound heard in the silent room was the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor attached to Hinata. Mocking them with each beep, as beat by beat Hinata slipped away from them. Everyone seemed to be at a loss for words so with a slight and somber nod, the nurses carted Hinata out of the O.R. and to the last room she would ever be in with everyone in tow behind. Everyone, except for Naruto, who stood in the same spot with his hands clenched in fists and tears streaming down his face. Unable to move for fear that if he did then Hinata would be lost forever, as if he stayed right there in that spot then they would remain in that moment and Hinata wouldn't have to die.

Everyone was filing out of the room when Sakura noticed Naruto still hadn't moved. Hesitating at the door, she walked back to him and stopped directly behind him. Unable to find the words she was looking for she simply took the last step and embraced him in a hug from behind, burying her head in his back. She could feel him shuddering lightly as he tried to suppress the sobs and this only made her squeeze him tighter in an embrace and yet he stood there emotionless, head hung, and hair covering his eyes.

"Naruto…" she started but her voice failed her again as she searched for the words that could comfort him. "…I'm sorry." was all she could manage. With that she turned and walked slowly to the door, opened it, and left with Naruto still standing in the same spot.

As soon as he heard the door shut behind him he began to shake violently and the sobs finally escaped his throat. Within seconds the memories of Hinata began flashing through his mind; missions they had been on together, the talks that they had shared, and the way she always seemed to smile whenever he was around her. _"And she loves you."_ Naruto felt as if someone had caught him in the gut with a sucker punch. Sagging to his knees, he stared at his hands as his tears dripped into them. _"I wasn't strong enough…I let her down…I made a promise to protect her and I couldn't!"_ He choked a sob back and gritted his teeth.

Out of nowhere Kyuubi's voice entered his mind. "**It's not your fault Naruto, you did your best."**

"You shut up, this is your fault!" Naruto screamed.

"**Is that how you thank someone who tried to help you?"** Kyuubi practically screamed back. Even if he was a demon he still had feelings, and Kyuubi was hurt that Naruto was even blaming him for it.

"You didn't help!" Naruto raged back, "If anything you made it worse! It would have been more humane for her to die peacefully but instead you kept her alive with poison and now she's dying slowly and painfully!" Naruto slammed his fist into the tile cracking it. "Damn you! I don't even know why I listened to you!"

"**I was trying to help!"** Kyuubi yelled back but it was too late, his anger had gotten the best of him. **"But maybe it's best if she dies! That weak bitch was nothing but an anchor dragging you down, dragging everyone down! You humans are so **_**pathetic.**_**"** He growled.

"Shut up…" Naruto whispered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Shut the fuck up. Leave me alone you evil bastard. I swear I will dedicate the rest of my life to making sure you will never be free again."

"**Why should I believe you? You can't keep your promises anyways."** Kyuubi knew he went too far and regretted what he said almost as soon as it left his lips. After working so hard to make the relationship between him and his host better he could feel it come crashing down. His legendary anger had gotten the best of him and now he had spoken badly about the two humans he actually cared for.

There was a split second of silence followed by a scream of pure rage erupting from Naruto's throat.

"I said SHUT UP!" as he brought his head down, slamming it against the tile floor and putting an ever bigger crack in it. There was a brief flash of white and black light before his eyes and then he felt the presence of Kyuubi leave his mind. Sitting up slowly he could feel blood running down his face from where he split his forehead open. However the silence that answered his ears was no better than the Kyuubi's taunting and he broke into new tears. Hunched over in both physical and emotional pain he watched his tears and blood drip down onto the white tile floor, mix, and then run through the cracks in the tile like small rivers. The entire world seemed to stop existing as he knelt there watching the pinkish red liquid flow through the tile, but a soft quiet sigh brought him back to reality.

Glancing up quickly, Naruto looked in the direction he heard the sound and was stunned at who he saw. Standing in the corner of the room watching him intently was the old couple he had met earlier on the outskirts of the village.

"Well," the old man said slowly, "he most certainly has his mother's temper."

"Shut the hell up, who even asked for your opinion?" Naruto shouted back. "Who are you and what are you even doing here?" He was beyond the point of formalities and didn't really care if he was being rude.

However the old couple remained quiet and continued to stare at him, seconds felt like minutes as the stare down went on until finally the old woman began to move. Slowly, the old woman shuffled towards him hunched over in age without saying a word and without taking her eyes off of him. Finally, she stood right in front of him but she still wouldn't speak. She only stared intently at him.

Looking up Naruto growled, "What…what are you looking at? What do you want?"

Meeting her eyes he was surprised at what he saw. Staring into her deep brown eyes he could see the concern, care, pity, and sympathy. Although she looked extremely old her hair was still a bright fiery red color and it seemed give her a life energy that was comforting. Before he could say anything though she reached out and wrapped him in a hug holding him close. Stunned by the act of compassion and warmed by the care and love that this stranger was showing him caused Naruto to lose all control of his emotions, breaking down completely.

"Just let it all out sweetie, its okay to cry sometimes." she said softly.

Sobbing into the strange woman's chest, he tried to explain himself. "I-I don't know what else I could have done…I pushed myself beyond my limits…I did things…" he shuddered hard at the memories of what he had done to Yama only a half hour ago.

"It's okay Naruto," the old woman cooed softly to him, "you did what you had to do to protect that girl you care so much about."

Naruto shuddered hard as sobs rocked his body at the thought of Hinata. "B-But it wasn't enough…I f-failed her…I c-couldn't keep my promise." He was now clutching onto the old woman for dear life, not wanting the comfort to end. He felt like a child but he didn't care, for the first time in his life he was truly being comforted and ironically it was by someone he didn't even know.

"My dear boy," the woman said in a hushed and comforting tone, "sometimes things happen that are completely out of our hands." For a split second Naruto caught a hint of pain on her voice and soft cough from the old man in the corner seemed to confirm it. "But," she continued, "all we can do is make the best of it."

Looking down she smiled softly, her eyes crinkling in mile long crow's feet and her smile lines matched them causing Naruto to instantly feel better. But the images of Hinata stuck in his head wouldn't allow him to completely calm down and Sakura's voice echoed in his ears.

"_She's only got a few hours left."_

Sniffing loudly he pulled away from the woman. "I j-just wish there was something I could do. I wish I could save her." The pain in his heart was unbearable and he felt absolutely defeated.

Still smiling, the old woman replied softly. "You can."

Naruto gasped as his whole world came to a screeching halt.

"W-What did you just say?" he asked shakily, unsure if he should believe what he thought he just heard but hoping he could.

"I said you can save her. There is still one more thing that can be tried." she said with a soft chuckle.

"Don't lie to me!" Naruto shouted as he jumped up to his feet in an instant and searched her eyes for any deceit. "Are you telling me there is still a chance Hinata can be saved?"

Standing up slowly she smiled at him as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a scroll.

"I'm not lying dear boy." she said as she handed it over to him.

Taking the scroll from her, he opened it quickly but cautiously and examined its contents. His eyes widened in shock and dismay as he realized the complexity of what he was looking at. The complexity of the seal in front of him was unheard of. A twelve pointed seal, requiring two hundred hand signs.

"It is important you get this right the first time," The old woman said, her demeanor going suddenly serious. "Because 'a' it requires a vast amount of chakra and 'b' failure can have _deadly_ consequences."

"There's- there's no way I can do this. Not on my first try." he said to himself as he felt his heart drop.

"Of course you can," the old woman said with a smile as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "We believe in you."

Instantly Naruto had a flashback of his talk with his dad, the Fourth Hokage.

"_I know you'll find the answer, I believe in you."_

His voice failing him, all Naruto could do was stare at the old woman dumbstruck.

"Besides," the old man said as he began walking over to them, "you _are_ an Uzumaki after all." He cracked a smile that reminded Naruto of a desert floor that had been in a drought for the last hundred years. It was contagious and Naruto couldn't help but smile too as a rush of determination filled him.

"_I can do this!"_ he told himself. _"I can still save her; I can still keep my promise!"_ Naruto gritted his teeth as he thought of what he must do. By the time he came back to his senses the old couple were already leaving through the doors.

"Wait!" he cried, stopping them in their tracks.

"What is it dear boy?" asked the old woman, turning her head to look back at him.

"Why are you helping me? I don't even know your names. Who are you?"

"Heh." The old man laughed to himself. "Looks like he already forgot our names." After a moment he continued. "My name is Jihibiki and this is my wife Renge. We are helping you because we can and you deserve it."

"I'm grateful, I really am." Naruto said. "But, who are you really?"

Jihibiki looked at Renge for a moment before answering. "Who we are is not important at the moment. You have a job to do that requires all of your attention. In time the answer to your question will be revealed."

With that the elderly couple turned and left the room, leaving Naruto standing there confused and in awe. A few seconds later he shook his head and got serious. Without wasting any time he quickly summoned two shadow clones.

"You know what we need to do." the original said looking at the two clones.

"Right!" they yelled in unison nodding.

"Good, let's get to it we're wasting time!"

With that the two clones burst through the doors, down the hallway, and out towards his apartment. Naruto, however, turned on his heels, walked over to the wall, and smashed the emergency call button. Within seconds the same team of three nurses burst through the door looking around frantically.

Seeing Naruto they rushed over to him.

"What is the matter Naruto-sama?" the woman asked.

"I need you guys to patch me up, and I need it done as fast as possible." He replied, looking at each one of them with a hard determined look on his face.

Ten minutes later they were finished and his clones had arrived back at the room. The nurses began to protest saying that he needed to rest but one hard look caused them to shakily say to do what he wanted and they quickly left him and his clones. Going to an unoccupied room he quickly changed into the spare clothes that his clones retrieved for him and washed up. Then, jumping from the window he ran to an abandoned area not too far from the hospital with plenty of space.

"Looks like this is as good of a spot as ever." he said to himself looking around. Bringing his fingers together in a cross shape he took a deep breath and focused. "Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Instantly the entire area was covered in smoke and when it finally cleared two hundred Narutos stood in the once empty space. _"If this seal requires two hundred hand signs, I'm gonna need to learn them all, and fast."_

"Okay, let's get to it! We've got one hour to memorize all the hand signs! Hinata is counting on us!"

"Yeah!" they all cheered and simultaneously all sat down crossed legged and pulled out scrolls.

A half hour later after intense practice Naruto himself had half the hand signs memorized. Dispelling the rest he was instantly flooded with the data of two hundred other clones. Smiling, he spent the next minute flashing through all two hundred hand signs. Not satisfied though, he focused even more chakra and summoned three hundred clones this time.

"Okay!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "One hundred of you over there!" he said as he pointed to his left. "You're going to continue to work on the hand signs!"

"Right!" one hundred Narutos yelled in unison as they stampeded in that direction.

"The rest of you!" the original continued, "Are going to begin working on the kanji! And make _sure_ you do it perfectly!"

"You got it!" the other two hundred yelled as they pulled from their backpacks a two by two meter piece of paper and a calligraphy pen.

For another forty-five minutes later, Naruto wanted to take a little more time just to be sure, he dispelled all the clones at once and had to sit down on some rubble to keep himself from passing out. The vast amount of memories flooding into him was making him dizzy.

"Note to self," he muttered, "don't dispel three hundred clones at the same time again."

After taking a minute to gather himself and make sure he had everything he need, Naruto headed back to the hospital at a dead sprint.

"_Hang in there Hinata."_ Naruto pleaded through gritted teeth. _"I'm coming!"_

* * *

><p>Hinata's time was short; she knew it as well as everyone else in the room. Her teammates, sister Hanabi, Neji and his team, Sakura and Sai, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Chōji Akimichi, and even her pregnant sensei Kurenai Yūhi were all there to be with her in her final moments. The only people missing were her father and Naruto. Her father had been away on a diplomatic mission but had received word and was reported to be on his way back to the village. There was even a rumor that when he was met with protest he responded with, 'I don't give a damn about this situation, it's my daughter!' This had caused all the Hyuugas in the room along with Kurenai to smile and laugh a little. Hiashi could be hard and stern but deep down he loved his daughters and over the past few days he was beginning to show that more. The attack on the village seemed to wake him up. Naruto, however, was nowhere to be found which caused everyone to worry. It wasn't like him to be missing when one of the people he cared about was in need; he dedicated his life to them.<p>

Everyone's attention was on Hinata though and her attention was on her sister Hanabi, who at the moment was curled up on the bed with Hinata crying into her chest softly.

"It's okay Hanabi," Hinata cooed softly, "you don't need to cry." She stroked Hanabi's head gently, brushing her hair out of her face with her frail hand.

Hanabi only buried her face deeper into her sister's chest. "I don't want you to leave me." she whimpered. "You're my sister and the closest thing I ever had to a mother! I'll be all alone!"

"Now don't say that Hanabi." she said with a slight smile on her face. "You have Neji here to take care and look after you and you have Father as well. You're not alone."

Hanabi could only sniff as an answer but it seemed to calm her down a little. Looking up at Neji, Hinata spoke.

"Nii-san, please promise me you will look after Hanabi." The plea in her voice for the well being of her sister was overwhelming.

"Of course I will Hinata-sama. You have my word I will watch over and protect her." Neji said with a strain in his voice.

"No, Neji," Hinata said as she closed her eyes and shook her head slowly, "I'm not asking you as Branch Member to do this last duty." Opening her eyes she looked at him with love and compassion, "I'm asking you as my brother to watch over our little sister here."

Bowing his head to hide his tears, Neji spoke with waver. "I swear to you, Hinata, that I will protect our little sister."

Tenten had lost control and had begun to sob into Lee's shoulder and Akamaru had begun to whine softly. Reaching out her hand she petted the top of Akamaru's head and smiled weakly at him.

"There, there, Akamaru. Everything will be okay." She winced as a shot of fiery hot pain passed through her. They had been happening more and more frequently over the course of the last hour. Akamaru whined again to show he didn't believe her but she just smiled again and continued to stroke his head.

"_She's being so strong."_ Sakura thought to herself as she took the scene in. _"Even in her last hour she is doing everything she can to comfort others."_

"Hinata…"

Hinata looked over at her. "Yes, Sakura?"

"I-" her voiced wavered for a second before she forced herself to speak. "I just wanted to say that I always thought I was the strongest kunoichi out of our group." Instantly she received dirty looks from both Ino and Tenten causing Shikamaru to smirk to himself. She ignored them and continued. "But…I realized now that I was wrong. You are the strongest kunoichi of our group Hinata."

Hinata blushed lightly. "Don't say things that aren't true Sakura. I'm not nearly as strong as you are." She lowered her head slightly in defeat. _"If I was stronger, I wouldn't be in this situation now."_

"I am speaking the truth." Sakura said quietly looking down.

Hinata looked up in surprise. "How can you say that?"

"It's simple really." Sakura replied looking back up at her. "In the past week you've gone toe to toe with some of the most dangerous ninja that walk this earth. When Naruto was in trouble none of us came to him like we should have…" everyone in the room felt a wave of guilt wash over them, "…but you did. You risked your life for him, and even now the way you are instead of feel sorry for yourself, you're the one comforting us. "

A faint blush and a small smile crossed Hinata's face as she looked at Sakura. "Thank you Sakura. You have no idea how much that means to me."

Sakura smiled back at her but was unable to suppress the tears as they formed in her eyes. The entire room was quiet for a few moments before Hinata spoke again.

"Please. All of you promise me one thing."

Everyone shared glances with each other before looking at her.

"What is it Hinata?" Kurenai asked.

"Please promise me that no matter what happens you will look out, protect, and always be there for each other." Her voice began to shake with emotion but she remained strong in the presence of her friends.

"You got it Hinata." Ino said with a sad smile.

"Yeah don't worry about it Hinata." Kiba said and Akamaru yipped in agreement.

"I promise." Shino said evenly, but behind his glasses tears were falling down his cheeks.

"Don't worry Hinata, you can count on us!" Lee said flashing his smile and giving her a thumbs up as the rest of them nodded.

Hinata smiled for a moment but it instantly melted away as it reminded her of the one person she wished to see the most.

"Naruto…"

The room fell silent again as everyone glanced at each other and shifted somewhat uncomfortably.

"I'm here Hinata."

Everyone turned around quickly to see Naruto standing in the door way. He hesitated for a moment and then walked into the room and stood at the foot of her bed. Taking a deep breath he looked at everyone in the room.

"Can you please give us the room for a few minutes?"

This caught everyone off guard. No one wanted to leave Hinata alone but Naruto's request trumped what they wanted. He had earned enough respect for this kind of request so they began to file out of the room. Neji went over to Hinata and after a hesitant moment, bent down and hugged her. After that he helped Hanabi out of the bed but just as they were about to leave Naruto put his hand on Neji's shoulder stopping him. Neji gave Naruto a perplexed look but Naruto simply held a finger to his lips.

After that he walked back over to Hinata and sat down on the bed next to her. Staring at her for a moment he took her hand in his causing her to blush and look down.

"Hinata... Do you remember what you said to me when I met you at the training grounds on my way to the chūnin exam three years ago?"

Hinata smiled as she thought about what she had said to him. Of course she remembered. There was no way she would ever forget a single moment spent with Naruto.

"Of course Naruto, I said that I thought that you were one of the strongest people I knew."

"I'm so sorry for all of this." he whispered painfully. "It's all my fault-"

"-No it's not!" Hinata burst out suddenly. Naruto's eyes widened in shock from her sudden outburst, but she refused to let him blame himself for what happened. "If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be here right now! If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to see my family and everyone else again! If it wasn't for you…" she choked on a sob as tears began to flow freely down her cheeks, "…I wouldn't have been able to see you one last time!" Using all of her strength she flung her arms around Naruto's neck and buried her head in his chest. Naruto was rigid for a moment but he quickly drew his arms around her. "You were my strength, my foundation, my reason for getting up every day and training as hard as I did. I know you don't feel the same way I do and that you possibly never would have but I could live with that. I could wait because to me you were worth it!"

Her emotions got the best of her and her voice finally failed her. The idea that this was the last time she would ever see Naruto was too much for her to handle. She cried hard for several minutes but eventually she found her voice again.

"I wish I could have been more confident, braver to tell you how I really felt." She said between sniffles. "There are so many things left that I wanted to tell you, but I'm out of time."

"Not if I can help it." Naruto whispered gently in her ear, his voice was confident and determined but still shook slightly with emotion.

"What are you talking about?" Hinata asked looking up at him with tears in her eyes.

"Hinata I…"

Naruto found himself lost in her eyes. They were still blood red but it didn't matter. The feeling came back again as he peered into her eyes and saw the love that she held for him. It made him feel good, like he could take on the world, but he didn't have the time to think about those kinds of things. Dragging himself back to reality he found his voice.

"…I'm sorry." he whispered as pulled out a sleeping seal and placed it on her forehead.

Instantly Hinata's body went slack and he laid her back gently in the bed. His sudden and random action caused Hanabi to cry out in dismay.

"Naruto!" Neji cried in outrage. "What is the meaning of this?"

Naruto ignored him and walked over to the door, pulled out two different sealing tags, and attached one from the door to the doorframe and the other to the center of the door; one to prevent sound from escaping and the other to keep people from coming in. After that he returned to Hinata's side.

"I can save Hinata." Naruto said to both of them without taking his eyes off of Hinata.

"You can?" Hanabi cried out hopefully.

"How?" Neji asked warily.

Naruto smiled as he pulled out the scroll he had received earlier and tossed it to Neji who caught it and opened it quickly. He gasped when he saw the contents inside.

"This is…impossible. Where did you find this?"

"That's not important right now, what is important is that we work together." Naruto said as he pulled out three candles and a calligraphy pen from his hip pouch. "Hanabi, how neat is your kanji?"

"It's flawless." She answered somewhat confused but proud nonetheless.

"Let's hope so for your sister's sake." Naruto replied grimly. Walking over to the two Hyuugas, Naruto took the scroll back from Neji and handed it to Hanabi along with the pen. "Inside that scroll is a diagram of the kanji needed to be written on the body, follow it down to every last stroke. We've only got one shot at this." Hanabi nodded and began to head towards her sister. "Hanabi." She stopped and looked back, her nerves betraying her face. "If you're anything like your sister, you'll do great. I believe in you." He smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up.

Hanabi visibly relaxed and nodded with a smile. Then her face changed to one of determination as she turned back to her sister and began to prepare everything. Naruto then turned to Neji.

"Here," he said as he handed him the three candles. "Take these and form a perfect triangle two meters apart on every side."

Nodding, Neji took the candles and activated his Byakugan. Within seconds he had the candles arranged in a perfect triangle and activated with a bit of chakra so the seal on the bottom of each candle would keep it in place no matter what.

"It is done." he said, looking over at Naruto.

At the same time Hanabi had just finished reading through the instructions on the scroll and was drawing the curtain closed around Hinata's bed so she could strip her sister down and begin writing the kanji on her body.

"Good." Naruto said. Pulling out a purple velvet bag, he handed it to Neji. "Now pour this in a perfect line connecting each candle."

Neji nodded and took the bag but his eyes widened when he saw the contents. "How? How did you get this?"

Inside the bag was refined black salt, the rarest and most expensive form of salt available in the shinobi world; it was used for forbidden summoning and seals.

Naruto grinned and put his hand behind his hand. "Well let's just say the ANBU is going to be a little short on salt for awhile."

Neji stared at him in disbelief. "You stole this from the ANBU? How did you even know where it was being kept?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Kakashi sensei took me on a tour of the headquarters once when I was younger. I told him that I was thinking about trying to join eventually, to help my record with becoming Hokage, ya know? Anyways, during the tour we walked past a door that was open with a bunch of weapons and ingredients inside and he mentioned that all the forbidden ninja tools that the village had were kept there in that safe. Since this seal is a forbidden one, I figured that would be a good place to look for the ingredients needed."

Neji was dumbstruck, he was looking at a ninja who managed to break into the ANBU headquarters, steal something, and actually get out undetected. "How did you manage that? That should have been impossible!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "It's amazing what a few smoke bombs and the sexy harem jutsu can accomplish."

Neji sighed and face palmed, every bit of respect that he had for Naruto before seemed to just slip away with his last comment. "Let's just get this done, we're wasting time."

"I agree." Naruto said. "Hurry up and get that salt down."

Undoing the bag, Neji quickly activated his Byakugan again, making sure to ignore his naked cousin directly behind him, and poured out the salt in a perfect, thin, even line connecting the candles together.

"Okay here we go," Naruto said when Neji was done, "Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Two clones exploded into existence next to Naruto. Each taking a side of the triangle, they got down on their knees and bit their thumbs. Quickly they began to write the kanji symbols in blood down the sides of the triangle on both sides of the lines. When they reached a candle, the symbols would bubble around the candle on both sides. The finished product looked like a triangle but instead of points it had bulbed ends. Dispelling the clones, Naruto spent a few minutes checking over his work. Satisfied at with what he saw he sighed.

"Okay, time for the really hard part."

Stepping gingerly into the triangle, he got down and began to write more symbols in blood and began to spiral it out towards the edges. This took Naruto twenty minutes to do even though he had trained intensively for it. The fact that the seal required a vast amount of symbols was just very time consuming. Neji watched with his Byakugan activated to make sure Naruto's writing remained even and suggested twice that he rewrite a symbol. When Naruto was done and they were both satisfied with the end product they went over to the curtain separating them from the girls.

"Hanabi, are you ready?" Neji asked.

"Yes Neji, I believe that everything is prepared correctly." she answered.

"Good." Naruto said grimly. "It's time to do this."

Hanabi drew back the curtain revealing a naked Hinata, thankfully Hanabi had been courteous enough to pin cloth around her privates so nothing was to revealing when she finished the kanji on her body. Walking up to her, Naruto scooped her up in his arms and carried her over to the seal on the floor. Setting her down carefully inside, Naruto then aligned her body so that the center of the seal on Hinata's stomach matched perfectly with the seal on the floor. When he was finished it looked as if the seal on Hinata's stomach spiraled out from her body and onto the floor to the edges of the triangle.

"Okay," Naruto said when he was satisfied, "I need you two to stand back. We don't want any interference, or distractions. This is going to take a lot of concentration."

Nodding, the two Hyuugas walked across the room to the other side. Lighting the candles, Naruto stepped into the triangle, knelt down next to Hinata, and removed the seal from her forehead. After that he gentle called her name and waited for her to wake up.

"Hinata." he called softly.

Her blood red eyes fluttered open and looked around the room in fear and confusion but before she could do anything he quickly clamped a hand down on her mouth and spoke gently.

"Hinata, I cannot stress how important it is for you to _not move_. Please, whatever you do, do not move a single muscle. Do you understand?"

Naruto removed his hand from Hinata's mouth and after a moment of hesitation she responded. "Yes, but what is going on?" she had relaxed but she was still confused. "Why am I on the floor, where is everyone, and why am I _naked_?" She instantly felt blood rush to her face in pure embarrassment. _"What does it matter?"_ she thought sadly to herself, _"I'm going to die anyways."_ Tears formed in her eyes.

"We're not alone." Naruto said with a caring smile, "Neji and Hanabi are here as well."

Without looking she called out. "Hanabi, are you there?"

"Yes sister!" Hanabi answered immediately. "We're here for you."

Hinata smiled to herself and then looked at Naruto. "That still doesn't answer why I'm like this. Explain yourself."

Naruto took a deep breath and stared into her eyes with worried ones. "Hinata," he began, "do you still trust me?"

She didn't even need to think about the question. "Of course I do Naruto-kun, I always will."

Naruto visibly relaxed and let out the breath he was holding in.

"But," she continued, "you still have yet to answer my other question." _"This wouldn't be so bad if we were alone and he was naked too."_ She thought. _"If I'm about to die I might as well enjoy myself."_ It was crude, provocative, and unlike her but she didn't care.

Naruto let a small smile escape his lips. "It can't be helped. You have to be like this if this is going to work."

"If what's going to work?" Hinata asked afraid of what he might say.

"I found a way to save you Hinata."

Hinata felt her heart skip a beat as hope rose up in her chest.

"However," Naruto continued, "it's a complicated seal that requires a lot of chakra and has no room for errors. On top of that it's my first time actually performing the seal."

Hinata felt her heart sink. "Oh." was the only word that escaped her lips. _"There's no way that it will work then. I'm going to die, but at least Naruto never stopped trying to help."_ She smiled at him weakly. "It's okay if you fail Naruto; I don't want you to blame yourself for my death. You've given me so much to look forward to in life, so thank you for always believing in me and never giving up. As long as you do your best know that's all that matters to me, even if I die."

"I won't blame myself." Naruto said slowly, "Because I'm not going to let you die. I made a promise to myself that I would never let anything happen to you, and I'm not about to go back on my word now. That's my ninja way." He flashed his smile at her and then wiped her tears away. "And stop crying, you're going to wash away the seal. I promise, everything will be fine."

"Thank you Naruto…for everything."

"Don't mention it." Naruto said as he cracked his knuckles. "Now, let's get to it and remember, _don't move._"

Hinata nodded once ever so slightly causing them both to grin because of her rebellion to his command. Even in the face of death she still managed to flirt a little with him.

Taking a very deep breath, Naruto prepared for the long set of hand signs that was about to come. _"It's now or never."_ he thought, _"I have to get this right!"_

"_Please let this work!"_ Hinata prayed. _"There are so many things I still want to say to you Naruto."_

Exhaling Naruto began the hand signs, saying each one as he formed it, the quiet causing the words to become an eerie chant. When he reached fifty hand signs the candles' flames began to grow taller and brighter while the surrounding light began to dim. By the time he reached one hundred signs the flames were as tall as him and were the only light source in the room. When he only had fifty hand signs left the black salt began to glow a deep violet red.

Coming into the last stretch of hand signs Naruto could feel the room buzzing with chakra.

"Ram, rat, monkey, rat, bird, hare, dog, ram!"

Finishing the last hand sign, he quickly brought it down on top of the seal on Hinata's stomach.

"Sealing Jutsu: Twelve Pointed Guardian Seal!"

For a split second nothing happened and Naruto began to think that he had failed. However, the next second the kanji on Hinata's stomach began to swirl around tighter and tighter until they formed a small black hole the size of a rice ball opening into nothing. His hand still placed on her stomach, Naruto began to feel and visibly see his chakra being drained from his body and into Hinata's. He knew this was how the seal worked; in exchange for the power of the seal he was required to forfeit his chakra.

First, the kanji on the outside of the triangle bulged out until it formed a perfect circle. Next, the kanji just opposite of the outside did the same thing, although not as big so that the triangle points stuck out of the edges of it. Then, the kanji that spiraled underneath Hinata's body began to swirl up from the floor, onto her body, and then into the hole in her stomach.

Suddenly Hinata's back arched and she screamed out in pain. "Make it stop! It hurts so bad!" She had never felt this kind of pain before in her life. It felt as if liquid magma was running through her veins, burning her from the inside out. "Please! MAKE IT STOP!" Tears of pain began to flow from her eyes but Naruto just ignored her. _"This is unbearable; I'd rather die than go through this!"_ Slowly, the light began to fade as she found her consciousness slipping away from the extreme pain.

"Hinata!"

Naruto's voice brought her back from the darkness that was closing in around her.

"I know this hurts, I know the pain is unbearable, but you have to stay awake for this! If you don't, we'll both die!"

The sudden realization that Naruto's life was on the line as well as hers was the shock Hinata needed to focus. Screaming again in pain and frustration she refused to give in to the darkness. _"Naruto's life depends on me, I refuse to roll over and die! I refuse to let him down! For Naruto I can do anything!"_ Her body rocked in more pain as the fiery pain was then joined by sharp pains riddling her torso. _"I can do this!"_ she thought through gritted teeth.

Naruto had other concerns on his mind, however. The kanji symbols were only a third of the way inside of Hinata and he could feel that he was already at fifty percent chakra depletion. _"This isn't good. I'm not going to have enough chakra!"_ Gritting his teeth, he focused on his chakra and watched as the kanji continued to swirl inside Hinata. _"Come on, just keep moving. Just focus. I can do this!"_ Another third of the kanji had entered Hinata leaving just a little left, but Naruto was reaching dangerous levels. Sweating profusely, he tried with all his might to focus the last of his chakra on the seal, but to his horror he watched as the symbols creeped to an agonizing stop and then, after a few strained seconds, began to creep backwards. _"No!"_ Naruto screamed in his head. _"No! No! No! Damnit, Come On!"_ His nose began to bleed and his eyes were watering uncontrollably from the extreme heat being thrown off of the seal but the symbols stopped again and began to flow back into Hinata. Naruto, however, knew he was at his limit. Looking down at Hinata's pain ridden face he spoke.

"Hinata, I'm sorry. I thought I could do this but I was wrong."

Hinata opened her eyes with tears in them. "It's okay Naruto, you did your best and that's all that matters to me."

Tears were now in Naruto's eyes as well. "Just promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest and that you'll never change who you are. You are truly an amazing person."

Hinata's eyes widened in terror as she realized what Naruto was about to do. "No! Naruto please don't! I'm not worth it! Ple-"

"-Thank you." He interrupted her.

"For what?" she cried back.

"For believing in me...For never losing faith in me…For …everything." With a final scream he felt fiery hot energy shoot through his body, down his arm, and into Hinata. The last bit of kanji quickly swirled into Hinata and the hole snapped shut, where the hole had once been was quickly replaced with a swirling seal that slowly faded away. In an instant all the light returned to the room and the candles blown out.

Falling on all fours over Hinata, the world around Naruto slowed down until it stopped. His body was completely numb and his vision was blurring. With one last breath he looked into Hinata's eyes and watched them turn from the blood red color back to her soft lavender ones.

"_It worked."_ With that, Naruto smiled weakly and exhaled his last breath, succumbing to the darkness and Hinata could only scream one word.

"NARUTOOOOO!"


	6. The Ultimatum

**Author Note: Hey guys, here's the next installment in the story! Sorry it's taken so long but college has been a little hectic. This chapter will be more about plot development and less about action but I'm gonna try and pick up the pace a little. There are questions that need to be answered!**

**Enjoy! And as usual, please read and review!**

**Chapter 6: The Ultimatum **

Hinata watched in horror as Naruto closed his eyes with a smile on his face and collapsed on top of her.

"Narutoooo!" she screamed as the door exploded open and Sakura along with Hiashi rushed in.

Her mind racing and her body exhausted from the brutal pain she had just been through, Hinata fell back in exhaustion. Her father rushed over to her and tossed Naruto to the side. Scooping her up in his arms, tears began to form in his eyes as he stared horrified at his daughter. Opening her eyes slowly Hinata saw her father go in and out of focus, amazed that he was so openly displaying his emotions. She wanted to say something, anything, to keep him from crying but the only word that escaped her lips was,

"Naruto…"

With nothing left in her, she finally succumbed to the darkness.

When she finally came to the sun had gone down and the room was completely dark except for the soft glow of the moonlight trickling through the window and falling across her bed sheets. Keeping her eyes closed she lay there not moving, the warmth of the bed comforting and protecting her from the reality waiting for her just outside her sheets.

"Hiashi-sama."

The voice followed by movement just to her left brought back to reality for the moment. Her head still felt a little fuzzy and the voices echoed slightly but she focused on the voices as best she could.

"What is it?" Hiashi's voice asked tiredly.

"It's about the lab results for Hinata-sama. Everything came back negative. Somehow the chakra that was slowly killing her was sealed away inside her with an extremely powerful seal; we've never seen anything like it before."

"What does that mean then?" Hinata could hear the concern in her father's voice.

"It means that your daughter is going to be fine." The voice replied with a slight upbeat to it.

Both Hinata and Hiashi exhaled at the same time, both of them not realizing they had been holding their breaths. Thankfully, Hiashi didn't catch Hinata and she continued to listen to the conversation. Wanting the answer to the biggest question that was ravaging her mind, she tried to focus but the voices were becoming harder to follow as her mind became more disoriented and fuzzy.

"We are going to keep her for the next day to make sure nothing out of the ordinary happens and she remains stable." the nurse continued. "After that she is free to return home."

Unable to stand it any longer, Hinata was just about to ask her question when her father did for her.

"And what about the boy?"

There was a slight pause and the only noise to break the silence was the soft rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor hooked up to Hinata. Even though she was lying there still it felt as if her body was spinning faster and faster and she tried desperately to hear the answer.

"Somehow he survived."

The heart monitor immediately increased its rhythm as Hinata felt her heart flutter in a mix of excitement and relief giving her away.

"Hinata, are you alright? Is everything okay?" her father asked hurriedly.

She opened her and smiled weakly at him nodding. Her body on the other hand decided it was time to rest again as the images of her father's face and the nurse next to him swirled together out of focus and darkness once again consumed her. However, her mind was at ease knowing that her love had made it through the ordeal as well. _"How can I ever thank you?"_

* * *

><p>Naruto felt as if he was suspended in the middle of nothing, surrounded by complete darkness. It wasn't a bad darkness though. In fact, he was quite comfortable. <em>"If this is death then it's not so bad."<em> he thought dreamily to himself as he continued floating through the darkness. Then, slowly he began to hear what sounded like voices echoing off in the distance. Over the course of a few minutes they slowly came into focus until he could finally make out what they were saying. Suddenly the suspension left him and he felt the warmth of blankets wrapped around him and the softness of a pillow tucked behind his head. _"I'm still alive?"_ he asked himself. _"But how?" _After a moment he was able to register who was in the room with him.

"How is he?" Yamato asked.

"He's stabilized finally and the worst part is over. Now that he's out of the woods he seems to be making a rapid recovery." Sakura answered.

There was an audible rush of air as everyone sighed in relief.

"Having the Kyuubi sealed inside of him along with being an Uzumaki certainly does give him the edge when it comes to healing, doesn't it?" Kakashi said amusingly.

"It most certainly does." Sakura said with a slight laugh. "He truly is amazing."

Naruto tried to move, to speak, but he found his body unresponsive. Panic set in quickly as his imagination got the best of him. _"Oh god, I'm in a coma! I can hear everything but I can't respond to anything!"_

"I don't understand though," Sai's voice lost in confusion. "Why would he risk his life to save one person? It wasn't worth it; he's far more valuable to the village than her."

Naruto screamed in anger inside of his head as he commanded his body to move so he could get up and punch Sai in the face. _"You are so lucky Sai! When I get my hands on you, you are in for a world of pain!"_ Luckily, Sakura was there to berate Sai for Naruto.

"Sai! You should know by now that Naruto would do anything for any of his precious people. He wouldn't think twice about sacrificing his life for any of us."

"It's true." Yamato said in agreement. "It can be a real pain sometimes, but Naruto always keeps the best interest of others in mind."

"Regardless," said Sai, "it seems like a complete waste, but then again I don't really understand these things."

Giving up on trying to move or speak, Naruto lay there in the bed and continued to listen to the conversation. As he did, he heard the door to the room open and another person enter.

"Danzo-sama, what are you doing here?" Sai asked surprised.

There was silence as the light shuffling of feet and tapping of a cane approached the bed.

"I would like a minute with Sai." he said with authority.

"_Damn bastard."_ Naruto seethed,_ "Probably loves being able to boss everyone around."_

"Of course Hokage-sama." Kakashi said and with that the footsteps of everyone one could be heard as they exited the room.

Danzo stood there and waited until the door was shut and he was sure that no one was listening before he began to speak.

"Sai, I'm going to be leaving later today to travel to the Land of Iron. I will be meeting with the other kages to discuss circumstances regarding the Akatsuki. While I'm gone I want you to keep an eye on Naruto and report everything he does. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Danzo-sama."

"Good." Danzo replied. There was a moment of silence and Naruto could feel Danzo staring at him. "If I had my way I'd have him locked away until we needed him. Such a powerful weapon should only see the light of day when it is needed. However, with the Akatsuki's interest in him and the way he acts so recklessly he should be locked away permanently. If we're lucky, he'll slip into a coma."

Naruto lay there seething in anger and clenching his fists to keep himself from yelling at the old bastard. _"Wait a minute, I can move now?"_ Slowly letting his hands relax; Naruto breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. Risking a peak, Naruto cracked his left eye open just slightly to see Danzo's back to him. Closing it quickly he continued to listen.

"Well, I must be off. Keep me informed Sai."

"Hai, Danzo-sama." he replied curtly.

With that Danzo turned and left the room leaving just Sai and Naruto. He sat there in silence for a few minutes and then sighed to himself and stood up. Turning to leave, he stopped when he heard Naruto's voice.

"Are you really going to listen to that jerk and keep tabs on me?"

Sai's eyes widened and a faint blush crossed his cheeks as he turned around and looked down. "I don't have a choice; he is our Hokage and my commander."

Naruto tried to sit up in the bed but the aching and burning in his muscles kept him from doing so. Stepping towards the bed, Sai helped him sit up and turned to leave but Naruto grabbed his hand.

"Sai, listen to me." He said as he looked determinedly into his eyes. "We always have a choice. We aren't tools, we're humans. And being human means being able to make your own choices." He released his grip from Sai's hand and looked down at the bed. "Also, I would hate to think that one of my friends would do that to me."

"Friend?" Sai whispered to himself slightly confused as well as taken back.

"Yes, Sai." Naruto said with a smile. "You're my teammate and my comrade. We may not always get along but we look out and protect each other, and I would like to think that makes us friends."

"I see." was all Sai managed to say. He wasn't used to this feeling, the feeling that someone actually cared for him and saw him as something more than a tool. He smiled slightly to himself, a real smile for once. "I will still have to report to Danzo-sama but the reports may be a little… vague."

Naruto smiled at him appreciatively. "Thanks Sai, now can you do me a favor and go get Kakashi and Yamato-sensei? I think I have some explaining to do."

Sai nodded and left the room and within a few seconds Sakura and Yamato came rushing through the door followed by Kakashi walking lazily in. He may have acted cool and nonchalant on the outside but inside he was breathing a sigh relief that Naruto was awake and alright.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Yamato asked hurriedly.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling?" Sakura bombarded him right after.

Raising his hands in front of him he smiled and began to laugh. "I'm fine, I'm fine. I just figured I should tell you what happened."

Everyone nodded and grabbed a seat around his bed to listen to what Naruto had to say. Once everyone was settled he began.

"Okay first off, before I begin, how is Hinata-chan?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask catching the honorific and shot a sideways glance at Sakura just in time to see her eyes widen just ever so slightly. It wasn't like Naruto to use endings like that for anyone, and as far as he knew Sakura was the only one that ever got one from him. He sat there amused as he watched Sakura try to pretend like she didn't catch it but the faint blush and quick glance down gave her away.

"She's fine Naruto, she'll be released from the hospital later today." She managed to get out.

Naruto visibly relaxed and sighed in relief. "That's great to hear." he said with a smile. "I guess I can tell you what happened then."

At this point all ears were open and eyes on Naruto as he began to describe what happened. He started off telling them about his and Hinata's plan to train with each other, and then moved on to talk about the missing nin that attacked them who were working under the Akatsuki. He continued on describing the battle until he got to the part where he was knocked unconscious. He decided to leave out the conversation he had with Kyuubi since he didn't want anyone to know he was talking to him. Naruto picked up the story where he woke up to see Hinata about to be executed and explained how he went about saving her and defeating the enemy. Yamato's eyes widened in horror when he described how he ripped the chakra away from Kyuubi but at the same time relaxed because it meant that the seal on Naruto wasn't weakened or broken. He thought about leaving Renge and Jihibiki out of the story, but he realized that it would make no sense as to how he managed to seal the chakra inside of Hinata, so he finally decided on telling them since he only knew their first names anyways. He then described the seal that he used as well as the vast amount of chakra that was required. When Naruto was finally done the room was dead quiet as everyone absorbed everything that he had just said.

"Well," Kakashi said finally breaking the silence, "at least you two are okay and the seal on your stomach is fine."

"I agree." Yamato said. "But what you did was very irresponsible Naruto. You could have permanently damaged or broken the seal and released the Kyuubi. You're lucky nothing happened."

Naruto clenched the bed sheets in his fists and stared down at his lap. "I know…but I had to protect her." Looking up fiercely he stared back at the group. "I made a promise to myself to protect her and I intend to keep it!

"We know you do." Sakura said softly but there was a slight pain in her voice.

Naruto caught it immediately and became crestfallen. "Sakura…" he whispered to her, "It's not over yet. I promised you I would bring him back and I will. It's just…I need a little more time." _"Who am I kidding? I don't know if I'll ever be able to…"_

Kakashi shot Yamato a glance and Sai sat there intrigued, watching his teammates talk about a taboo subject. _"You don't know yet do you Naruto?" _he thought to himself.

Sakura stood up and walked over to the window and Naruto followed her with his eyes.

"Actually Naruto, there's something you need to know." She said quietly as tears began to form in her eyes. "Danzo issued an order giving the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud Village permission to hunt down and kill Sasuke on sight as a rogue ninja of the Leaf."

"W-What?" Naruto asked, barely able to speak above a whisper. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"As a fact of fact, we've been lucky that the order hasn't been issued up until now. Tsunade was very lenient but Danzo isn't." Kakashi pointed out.

Naruto's mind spun out of control as he became shut out from his surroundings. _"How can this be happening? I have to stop it, I made a promise to bring Sasuke back!"_

Sai was perplexed by the look that Naruto had on his face, he couldn't understand where it was coming from._ "Why is there so much pain in your eyes Naruto? Is the burden you carry truly that great?"_ Looking up at Sakura he couldn't help but wonder. _"What did you make him promise you Sakura?"_

Breaking the silence he spoke. "Ano, not to change the subject but should we be concerned about the two strangers Naruto met?" he asked. "That was an extremely powerful seal they gave Naruto and they're just walking around our village freely."

"No, if they meant harm I doubt they would have helped Naruto." Kakashi said bluntly. "Still, I don't think it would hurt to find out more about them."

"Naruto."

Naruto turned and looked at Yamato.

"Yes sensei?" he asked with a questioning look.

Yamato shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment before finally speaking. "I wanted to apologize for being so difficult at the training ground. If I had truly known how much trouble Hinata was in I would have left for the hospital immediately. I was just concerned that the seal had been broken…"

Naruto was stunned for a moment but then put a hand behind his head smiled. "It's okay sensei, you don't have to apologize." His smile quickly faded though as he became lost in thought again. After a moment of silence Naruto threw back the covers and swung his feet over the hospital bed.

"What are you doing?" Sakura asked as she rushed over and placed a hand on his chest. "You need your rest so stay in bed."

Naruto lightly tapped her hand away. "I will get my rest but right now I want to check on Hinata-chan and make sure she is okay."

"She is fine so stay in bed."

Everyone turned to see Hiashi standing in the doorway stoic as ever.

"Hiashi-sama, what are you doing here?" Yamato asked.

He walked into the room and up to Naruto. "I just wanted to have a talk with Naruto." He said as he stared hard at Naruto.

Naruto immediately became irritated by the tone in Hiashi's voice and the way he was looking at him.

"Well," Naruto asked with his tone matching Hiashi's, "what is it?"

The usually emotionless Hiashi showed irritation for a brief second before regaining his composure. Looking hard at Naruto again he began to speak.

"First, I would like to personally thank you for your service to this village and to the Hyuuga clan during the invasion of the village."

Naruto allowed a brief smirk to cross his face but it didn't last long. He knew there was more to Hiashi coming to see him than to just thank him for saving the village.

"Second, I want to apologize for my daughter. She tries so hard to be strong but she doesn't realize that she is being a burden to-"

"-Shut up!" Naruto shouted as he jumped out of bed. His muscles burned and begged him to lie back down but he refused to listen. Instead he stood his ground and stared angrily back at Hiashi.

To say that you could hear a pin dropped would be an understatement. The room was dead silent as everyone one sat still as statues, shocked and horrified at Naruto's outburst. Words even escaped Yamato and Kakashi as they stared speechlessly at Naruto. Naruto was so angry he was shaking and Hiashi had clenched his jaw in an attempt to mask his emotions but a vein had appeared on his forehead and was throbbing dangerously.

"What did you just say to me?" Hiashi whispered quietly. As if any louder and all of his anger and emotions would erupt.

"I told you to _shut. up_." Naruto whispered back just as quietly, laced with distaste and added emphasis at the end.

"How dare you speak to me in that way! I am part of the village counsel and head of the Hyuuga clan, the oldest and most noble clan in this village. What right do you have to speak to me in that manner?" Hiashi was livid and was now shaking with rage on the inside. To think that this blonde haired brat had the nerve to speak to him like he was a lowly peasant was unimaginable.

"I have every right to speak to you in whatever manner I damn well choose!" Naruto shouted back. "Scum like you doesn't deserve to speak about Hinata let alone have her as a daughter!"

That was the straw that broke Hiashi's back. The vein grew even larger on his head and throbbed even harder as he erupted in anger.

"Let me tell you something you loudmouthed bastard! I will speak about my daughter however I please. The truth is she is a weak, insecure, pathetic excuse of a Hyuuga and will never be the leader of our clan!" Hiashi was hyperventilating now he was so worked up from Naruto.

"Take that back you son-of-a-bitch!" Naruto screamed as he flew at Hiashi with a fist cocked.

"Naruto, no!" Sakura shouted as she and Sai sprung up and grabbed Naruto just before he reached Hiashi.

"Let go of me!" Naruto yelled in rage as he twisted and turned trying to break free from their grip. "This bastard needs taught a lesson!" He struggled against his teammates but continued to stare Hiashi hard in the eyes. "Hinata is NOT weak. She is NOT insecure. She is NOT pathetic. Hinata is strong, confident in what she believes in, and is an extraordinary ninja!" Wrenching a hand free, he jammed a finger into Hiashi's chest knocking him back a step shocking him. "She's just as much a hero of this village as I am!" Naruto screamed at Hiashi in anger. He continued to struggle with his teammates for freedom but Kakashi's sudden and booming voice caused him to stop immediately.

"NARUTO THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Team seven stopped immediately and looked at their sensei in surprise. Letting Naruto go, they stood there obediently except for Naruto who continue to eye Hiashi angrily.

"Hiashi." Kakashi said turning his attention to the Hyuuga. "What is the real reason for you coming here?"

There was a pause as Hiashi closed his eyes and regained his composure. Then, opening them he looked at Naruto and spoke.

"Naruto, stay away from my daughter."

"What?" Everyone cried out except for Kakashi.

"I want you to stay away from my daughter. Do not talk to her, be around her, or try to contact her in any way. If, for some reason, you end up on a mission with her I want you to speak only when necessary to her." With that Hiashi turned and walked to the door.

"And if I don't listen?" Naruto shouted after him.

Opening the door he stopped and spoke without even turning around. "If you do then I will use every bit of my influence to ensure you never become Hokage."

Naruto's world shattered and he sat back on the bed speechless. Sakura gasped audibly and Sai looked bewildered back and forth between his teammates and Hiashi.

"Surely you can't do that." Sakura spoke barely above a whisper.

"I can and I will if I must." Hiashi answered evenly. "You may have saved the village but you are still a monster on the inside. If you don't believe me then look at the people around you; one left to join the enemy, your master is dead, your previous Hokage is in a coma, and everyone else gets hurt when they are near you. You are nothing but trouble Naruto and I refuse to risk my daughter again. I will do whatever it takes to protect her from you. _Whatever_ it takes."

"Careful Hiashi." Kakashi said with an edge in his voice. "One could almost call that threat."

"It's not a threat, it's a promise." Hiashi said with a slight air of superiority and with that he left.

The room was silent as everyone stared at Naruto waiting for a reaction, but no reaction came. Inside, Naruto's mind was reeling trying to process what had just happened. _"Stay away from Hinata or I'll never become Hokage? What kind of choice is that? Why am I even upset about it? Damn it what is this feeling? What should I do?"_ Getting up slowly he began to walk for the door.

"Where are you going Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"…To get some fresh air." He replied as he opened the door.

Sakura started to make her way towards Naruto to stop him, "Naruto wait-"

"-Stop, let him go Sakura." Kakashi said as he put a hand on her shoulder halting her progress.

"But Kakashi-sensei, he needs his rest." she insisted.

"Maybe," Kakashi said in a low tone with a hint of sadness as Naruto closed the door behind him, "but I think he needs this more. He needs time to think about what just happened and decide what he's going to do."

"As if everything that's happened with Sasuke, Master Jiraiya, and Tsunade-sama wasn't enough, now this." Yamato said sympathetically.

"Naruto can never truly catch a break can he?" Sai said more than asked. "Everyone takes him so lightly, they never really understand what he's been or going through."

"The question is," Kakashi said solemnly, "what will he chose?"

* * *

><p>Hinata was sitting patiently on the edge of her bed waiting for the nurse to come check her out of the hospital when she saw Naruto walk by her room.<p>

"Naruto!" she called out, her mind and heart racing with excitement but she received no reply. _"Maybe he didn't hear me?"_ she thought to herself as she rushed out of the room to see Naruto slowly walking down the hall. "Naruto!" she called out again with a smile on her face as she ran towards him but she still received no response.

As she got closer she noticed his shoulders. _"What's wrong with him?"_ she wondered, _"Does it have to do with what happened to him?"_ She was walking just behind him now and he still hadn't acknowledged her yet.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked with concern.

Silence once again met her as they continued walking down the hall. _"Maybe it's something I did? Is he mad at me?"_ Hinata could feel she was becoming upset from the silence he was giving her. They continued walking, now side by side in an awkward silenc. When they reached the lobby of the hospital Hinata couldn't take it any longer. Reaching out she grabbed hold of his hand.

"Naruto why won't you say anything?"

"Damn it, leave me alone!" he yelled as he wrenched his hand out of her grasp.

Everyone in the lobby of the hospital stopped what they were doing and stared at Naruto in surprise.

"N-Naruto?" Hinata's voice began to shake from the shock as she tried to suppress her tears.

"Just stay away from me!" He said as he turned and walked for the door.

Hinata stood there devoid of all emotions from what had just happened. Her world came crashing down around her as she watched him turn his gaze from her eyes and walk towards the exit. _"What did I do?"_ she asked herself as the tears fell from her eyes. _"Why are you so mad at me? I don't understand!"_ Wrapping her arms around herself she bowed her head and started to cry quietly.

"What the hell was that Naruto?" a voice shouted from the lobby desk.

Turning her head to the side, she had to blink through blurry eyes before she made out Kiba looking extremely pissed off.

"Yeah Naruto, what was that all about?" Tenten's voice rang out.

Hinata then noticed that Kiba was also with Lee, Tenten, Shino, and Ino. However, Naruto didn't acknowledge them either and continued for the door.

"Naruto, what is the matter?" Lee asked, the only one staying relatively calm.

"Hey! We're talking to you!" Ino shouted angrily.

Naruto made it to the door and was about to open it when Kiba's words stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Look at him! He saves the village and he's already becoming arrogant. In case you've forgotten, Hinata's risked her life for you!" Pointing a finger at Naruto he yelled, "You're almost as bad as Sasuke."

Naruto's hand stopped in mid air as he was reaching for the door hand. It hovered there for a second and then began to shake. He clenched it into a fist, but then after a moment his shoulders sagged and he relaxed his fist, grabbed the handle, opened the door, and left without a word.

Hinata felt woozy and began to sway, but luckily Lee saw this and rushed over to brace her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her.

"W-what is wrong w-with Naruto?" she asked more to herself than anyone else.

Just then Sakura rushed into the lobby to see Hinata in a mess being braced by Lee and everyone else looking shocked.

"Oh no." she said and rushed over to Hinata. "Here Lee, let me take her."

Lee nodded and let Sakura wrap her in arms around her.

"Come on Hinata." Sakura said softly. "Let's get you back to the room."

Hinata just simply nodded and suppressed a sob.

"I'm going after Naruto." Kiba said angrily as he turned to leave.

"No you're not." Sakura said evenly.

"And why the hell not?" Kiba shouted.

"Because your teammate needs you." she said matter-o-factly.

"What my teammate needs is for me to go kick Naruto's ass!" he retorted.

"For starters we all know that's highly unlikely." Shino suddenly said out of nowhere. "And secondly, there's obviously something going on that we know nothing about so let's stay with Hinata and have Sakura fill us in."

"Oh who asked you?" Kiba asked angrily as he crossed his arms but it was evident he was going to stay.

"Lee, Tenten, can you go check on Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Sure Sakura, you can count on us!" Lee said with a fire in his eyes.

"Ino, are you coming with us?" Tenten asked.

One look at Sakura and Ino knew the answer to that. "No, I think I'll stay here. You two go ahead." She could tell Sakura knew something so she would just get it out of her.

"Okay then. Tenten, let's go!" With a nod both of them took off after Naruto while Ino helped Sakura get a devastated Hinata back to her room with her teammates close behind.

* * *

><p>Naruto walked aimlessly down the streets of the village completely lost in thought and oblivious to the world around him. <em>"What do I do? Why is it so hard to make a decision?"<em> He gritted his teeth in frustration and kicked a small rock banking it of the beam of a building under construction. **"May I make a suggestion?"** Kyuubi asked out of nowhere. _"Go to hell! I told you I want nothing to do with you!"_ **"Oh come on, are you honestly going to stay mad at me forever?"** Naruto didn't answer him and simply forced Kyuubi out of his mind.

"Oi, Naruto!"

Naruto was dragged out of his thoughts by the familiar voice. Looking to the right he saw the new Ichiraku ramen stand open for business and the old man, Teuchi waving him inside. Walking in he saw the place was busier than ever with no place to sit at all, the new place was packed full.

"Naruto it's so good to finally see you!" Teuchi yelled happily over the customers.

"Likewise to you old man." Naruto said with a smile but it quickly faded.

"Did you say Naruto?" a voice asked and around the corner Ayame walked with a pen and paper. "Naruto!" she shouted with a smile.

Looking around Naruto had to admit he was impressed that the ramen stand was already rebuilt, and in much better condition too. "I have to say, I'm surprised you got this place up and running so quickly."

Teuchi beamed a smile. "Well what can I say? The people wanted this place up and running as soon as possible, and beside that, our hero needs a place where he can eat his fill!"

Naruto gave another quick smile but he wasn't enjoying the attention that they were bringing to him. Everyone had started to stare and were pointing and whispering, many of them smiling and laughing happily._ "Figures, I've worked my entire life for the acknowledgement of the villagers and now that I've finally got it I wish they'd leave me alone."_ **"Oh the irony."** Kyuubi's voice said mockingly. Naruto's face darkened, _"Fuck off."_ he hissed as he pushed him out of his thoughts again.

"Naruto, is something wrong?" Teuchi asked. "I know, how about all-you-can-eat ramen on the house?" he suggested with a huge smile.

Naruto's next response caused Ayame to gasp and Teuchi to nearly faint.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." He said as he turned and headed for the door.

"B-But you never turn down ramen." Ayame said.

Naruto fought the tears back as he gritted his teeth. Glancing over his shoulder he answered. "I'm just not hungry right now." With that, he left a shocked Teuchi and Ayame standing in the middle of their ramen restaurant dumbstruck.

"Okay, something is definitely bothering Naruto. He never turns down ramen especially when it's free." Lee whispered behind the cover of some barrels as he and Tenten watched from across the street.

"I agree." Tenten whispered nodding, "And did you see the look on his face? It looks like he's almost in some kind of pain, it's heart breaking."

"Let's keep following and get to the bottom of this!" Lee shouted standing up full of emotion. "The fire of youth only burns once!"

"Can it baka or he'll hear us!" Tenten hissed slamming a fist down on his head and eliciting a yelp from him.

* * *

><p>"So are you gonna tell us what's going on or not?" Kiba asked impatiently as he waited on Ino and Sakura to finish putting Hinata into bed.<p>

"Yeah Sakura, what gives?" Ino asked.

Giving a glance sideways at Hinata and concluding that she was practically in a comatose state and wouldn't hear anything she sighed heavily.

"How do I put this? Hinata's father came in to see Naruto after he had woken up. After thanking him for saving her, he and Naruto got into a huge argument when he started to degrade Hinata and Naruto defended her. After that it spiraled out of control." She sighed again as she went over what had happened in her head.

"So? That still doesn't explain why he acted the way he did towards Hinata." Kiba said bluntly crossing his arms.

"What did he say to Naruto after that?" Shino asked sensing there was more.

Sakura smiled a little looking at him. "Nothing gets by you, huh Shino?"

"Usually, no." he said flatly.

Taking a deep breath she said it all at once.

"Hiashi told Naruto to stay away from Hinata or else he would make sure that Naruto never became Hokage."

"WHAT?" everyone shouted in unison.

"That can't be true, can it?" Ino asked in shock.

Sakura slowly nodded her head. "It is; I was there when it happened."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Sakura started to shake her head but quickly realized that the voice didn't belong to anyone in front of her. Turning around wide-eyed she saw Hinata sitting up in the bed with the most distant look on her face. Everyone prepared to comfort her as they saw the tears welling up in her eyes. However, in the blink of an eye Hinata's face quickly turned from sad and distant to pure rage.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Hinata screamed leaping out of bed.

Everyone stood in their place terrified as they watched a completely different Hinata take over.

"Where is my father?" she shouted at the top of her lungs and activating her Byakugan. "Where is he? When I find him I'll KILL him!"

She started to make her way for the door but Kiba stepped in front of her to stop her, or at least tried to.

"Whoa, hang on Hinata. This is your fa-" the rest was cut off as she grabbed his throat.

"Get the fuck out of my way," she whispered with pure venom, "or I'll kill you too."

In a flash Shino and Ino had tackled Hinata back onto the bed causing Kiba to fall to the floor gasping for air. Sakura wasted no time and quickly pulled out a syringe with a sedative in it. Sticking it into Hinata's arm, she waited for it to kick in while the others struggled to keep her still. When she finally drifted out of consciousness Shino and Ino both stood up looking extremely worried.

"What the hell was that?" Kiba rasped out through a sore throat.

"I have no idea, but we should leave her alone so she can get some rest. She should be out for a few hours, so I'll come back to check on her later." Sakura said and with that she ushered them out of the room

As Sakura closed the door behind her Ino hung back while the others went on down the hall.

"Ano…Sakura?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah Ino?" she answered with a troubled look.

Literally shaking, Ino gulped before continuing. "Did you by chance catch the way Hinata's eyes looked?"

Sakura nodded. She had been hoping that what she thought she had seen wasn't real, but Ino having asked about it confirmed what she had seen.

"Yeah," Sakura whispered looking around, "her Byakugan was blood red."

Ino nodded to confirm she saw it too.

"Ino, I think its best that we keep this between us for right now." Sakura said as they started to walk down the hall. Her mind was racing trying to find an answer for what she had just seen.

"Okay, but should we tell Naruto?"

Sakura shook her head quickly. "No, that's the last thing he needs to hear about. She isn't in any life threatening situation so let's leave him in the dark for now."

"Okay, you're the boss." Ino said waving her hand and dismissing what she had seen with a shudder.

Sakura, however, couldn't let the image of Hinata's eyes go. No matter how many medical ailments, diseases, or infections she went through she kept coming back to the same conclusion. _"It's the Kyuubi's chakra sealed inside her…"_

* * *

><p>Naruto found himself at the top of the Hokage monument watching the sun slowly set and thinking about everything that had happened that day. As the sun slowly sank down past the horizon the reds and oranges mixed together streaking across the sky like paint on a canvas and slowly put his mind to ease. There was a reason why this was his favorite place to come and think, to relax and just get away. Slowly he watched as the reds and oranges began to fade away into shades of purples and the stars started to wake in the night sky. <em>"Reminds me of…"<em> His eyes narrowed as he tried to force the thoughts from his head, but another one surfaced instead.

Flashback

Naruto had just reached the top of the monument and found himself sitting on a rock staring at the ground, not thinking about anything in particular his mind blank and numb. After a few minutes of staring at nothing a quiet scuff of sandals on the dirt roused him from his trance. Looking up he saw Neji standing next to him staring up at the clouds in the sky.

"What do you want?" Naruto muttered.

"Just came to talk." he said simply not breaking his gaze from the sky.

They were quiet for another two minutes while each one stared off in their own world.

Finally breaking the silence Neji spoke. "I heard about what happened…about…everything."

Silence again as they continued to stare.

"So, what about it?" Naruto finally asked slightly irritated. _"God I wish he'd leave, why is it so damn hard to find a quiet place to be alone?"_

"So I wanted to know," Neji said finally breaking his gaze and looking down at Naruto, "what are you going to do?"

Naruto's face contorted in anger for a moment, like he was about to explode on Neji, but then his shoulders sagged wearily and he sighed.

"I don't know." He said defeated. "I'm so confused right now about what I feel. I can't help but think that Hiashi is right though, I am a monster and everyone around me does end up getting hurt. Even though I want more than anything to no longer be alone, I know that no one deserves to be with a monster like me. Hinata is better off staying away from me."

Neji went back to looking at the clouds and Naruto went back to staring at the ground. After a few minutes of silence Neji spoke again.

"Naruto, let me tell you something that nobody else has told you."

Naruto's eyes slightly widened and he looked up at Neji in curiosity.

"What would that be?"

"When you fought Pain and the nine-tails was released, do you know why that happened?"

Naruto nodded looking down depressed. "Hinata sacrificed herself to try and save me."

Neji nodded back at him. "Correct, but do you know what actually happened when the nine-tails fought Pain?"

Naruto thought for a moment and then answered. "No. I just know that a lot of destruction took place." He looked down in shame. "No surprise there."

"That is true," Neji said, "but what you don't know is that the nine-tails actually protected Hinata."

"What?" Naruto said looking up in shock.

Neji nodded and continued. "Right after the Kyuubi was released Pain used a massive water release jutsu that flooded that area you and Hinata were in. The massive flooding destroyed everything in its wake but the nine-tails got Hinata to safety. In short, the Kyuubi saved Hinata from drowning."

Naruto was speechless, he had no idea the Kyuubi had done that or would even think of doing that. _"He actually went out of his way to protect her. And all this time I've accused him of being selfish and nothing but a curse."_

"Anyways, it's something to consider Naruto." Neji turned and started to walk away. "If anyone deserves to be happy it's you. You've definitely earned it."

End Flashback

Night had fallen now and the only light around came from the moon and the stars. Standing up, Naruto stretched and was about to leave when he heard another set of footsteps approaching. Turning around he saw Kakashi walking towards him.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Well Naruto, in case you haven't notice everyone is pretty worried about you." Kakashi replied.

Naruto stared out over the village, the lights from the tents and newly built houses shining like fireflies in the night. _"No shit, it's a lot to take in."_

"Yeah I've noticed." he mumbled. "But still, did you come to check up on me or did you need something?"

Kakashi looked surprised for once. "Am I not allowed to be concerned for my student?"

"I supposed not, although it does seem a little out of character." Naruto said pointedly. "So are you here to give me a pep talk or can we skip it?"

"I said I was concerned, not that I cared." Kakashi stated bluntly.

This caused Naruto to turn and stare at him hard with a rather annoyed look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something but Kakashi cut him off.

"I will say this though. Everyone wants to help and give you advice on what to do. But it's ultimately up to you to make the right decision."

For the first time that day Naruto cracked a real smile. "You know," he said evenly, "you really suck at being a sensei."

Kakashi smiled at him from underneath his mask. "Honestly if it were up to me I never would have been one." Naruto rolled his eyes at him but he continued. "However, I couldn't be more proud of you Naruto, and no matter what you decide I'll support your decision."

Naruto smiled gratefully at his sensei. "Thanks, that means a lot."

"Hey any time." Kakashi said with a smile. "Now, how about we go get some ramen my treat?"

Naruto turned and stared out across the village again.

"Naruto, you don't have to do this alone." Kakashi said putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Your friends are standing behind you all the way, there's no reason to do this by yourself."

Naruto sighed and turned to his sensei and smiled. "Yeah I guess so." His stomach growled reminding him how he hadn't eaten in two days. "So…how about that ramen?" he smiled sheepishly.

"_Glad to have you back Naruto."_ Kakashi thought as he wrapped his arm around Naruto and they walked off towards Ichiraku's ramen.

"Well I guess Naruto is back to his old self." Tenten whispered from behind some bushes.

"Indeed," Lee said nodding, "Now let's go tell the others what we have found out."

With that, they took off towards the BBQ restaurant where they said they would meet everyone.


	7. Conflicts

**Author's Note: Wow so huge response with my last chapter. I've got to say that's the most reviews I've gotten for a chapter and I was ecstatic. So thank you for your input regardless of what you said, I care people I really do.**

**Ppsh: Thanks for your input regardless. Just understand that this is a fanfiction so things may happen slightly different than what happens in the manga. Also, we apparently have different views on the Kyuubi's control. For the record I believe that once the chakra armor covers Naruto he loses consciousness and the Kyuubi takes over. As for Naruto's angst, he just lost his father figure, his mother/older sister is in a coma and his village has been destroyed. Even in the manga he was upset afterwards and on top of that, he's now being told to stay away from a girl that has admitted that she loves him and he is starting to feel something for her. But thanks anyways and hope you enjoy the rest!**

**AnonNHlover: I'm glad I'm able to draw you into my story! I just want to say that the story is far from over so just because something didn't happen doesn't mean I won't come back to it later. As for Hinata's little "moments", things have picked up so I have some trouble with finding a way to incorporate those feelings into a faster paced chapter. Don't worry though, they will be back!**

**As for everyone else that left something in the review, I'm glad you are enjoying the story and you find it worth reading. I promise things are going to get very interesting here in the future. No without further ado, here is the next chapter! And remember R&R please!**

**Chapter 7: Conflicts **

Naruto was on his seventh bowl of ramen when he finally stopped, finding himself staring into the broth lost in thought. Kakashi couldn't help but notice his student's sudden lack of interest in the food in front of him and sighed inwardly as he set his own bowl down.

"Finally full?" he asked already knowing the answer. There was no way that seven bowls filled him up. Especially when he hadn't eaten in over twenty four hours.

Kakashi's question was answered with silence as Naruto continued to stare into his bowl. _"Oh boy," _he thought as this time he sighed out loud, _"I guess he really took what Hiashi said hard."_

"Naruto…" he began as he tried to find the right words. "Don't worry about what Hiashi said. Personally I'm proud of the way you stood up for Hinata. There's no doubt in my mind that you'll find a way to fix things."

Naruto finally broke his stare from his apparently interesting bowl of ramen to look at his sensei, and Kakashi smiled at him brightly from underneath his mask. _"My god,"_ Kakashi thought as he continued to smile, _"I really do suck at this sensei thing!"_

Smiling back at him, Naruto laughed as he put a hand behind his head. "Gee, thanks sensei but that's not what I was thinking about."

The copy cat nin couldn't help but show a little surprise at that response.

"Oh is that so?" he said before an evil grin appeared on his face. "Could have fooled me." he said with a casual shrug. "I figured that's what you were thinking about since you defended her so…how should I put it? Passionately?" Suddenly he leaned on the counter propping his head up with one hand and stared intensely into Naruto's eyes. "Tell me, is there something going on between you two that you aren't telling me?" He had to stifle a laugh as he watched Naruto shift uncomfortable in his seat.

"No! There's nothing going on between us, we're just good friends that's all!" Naruto sputtered out as he waved his hands around in the air, but a faint blush suggested that Naruto wasn't entirely convinced in what he said. _"Who am I kidding?"_ he thought miserably to himself staring back down at his unfinished bowl, _"I have no clue what's going on."_

Still fixated on his bowl Naruto broke the momentary silence, "I was thinking about Sasuke."

Kakashi's eye betrayed how he felt inside. He was shocked since he was not expecting his student to be worrying about his former teammate. _"Typical Naruto," _he thought to himself,_ "more worried about others instead of himself."_ He couldn't help but admire Naruto's selflessness. However, his smile faded as he thought about the dire situation that Sasuke was now in. Quietly he unconsciously flipped out one of his colorful covered books and stared at the page not really reading it, a habit he had developed when he wanted time to think about a situation and be left alone.

"Oh? What about him?" he asked Naruto casually, shooting him a sideways glance.

"I want to ask the Raikage if he will forgive Sasuke." Naruto said looking at Kakashi.

Kakashi nearly dropped his book in surprise as he looked at Naruto as if he was crazy. "You can't be serious?"

"What else can I do?" Naruto said with a shrug, "I'm out of options and I want to keep him as safe as possible. By doing this, at least I may be able to keep other villages from hunting him down."

"Do you think you can really convince him?" Kakashi asked, setting his book down wanting to hear his answer.

Naruto's hand instinctively went to his stomach before he gave his sensei a huge smile. "Of course! If my father believes in me, then I believe I can do it. The way I see it, this would be the first step towards true peace."

"Your…father?" Kakashi asked incredulously.

"Yep, you bet!" Naruto said flashing him a grin.

"So then you know who he is." Kakashi said stating the obvious. "How?"

Naruto's smile faded as he thought about what happened. "It was when the Kyuubi was unleashed during the invasion. Just when the seal was about to be broken the Yondaime showed up and reinforced the seal and told me everything."

Kakashi stared at Naruto in disbelief. _"Sensei, you never cease to amaze me. How did you even manage that?"_ he wondered to himself. He quickly dismissed it though and smiled brightly at Naruto from underneath his mask.

"Well, I guess that means I believe in you as well." he said brightly as he slipped his book back into his pouch and pulled out some money for the food. "I guess I'll go inform Yamato that we'll be leaving early in the morning. If we hurry, we should be able to catch the Raikage before he reaches the summit for the council meeting."

"If you're leaving the village, then I'm coming too."

Naruto and Kakashi both turned around to see Sai standing in the doorway to the stand.

"Sai, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked with a hint of caution.

"Probably keeping tabs on me." Naruto said dejectedly.

Sai ignored the accusation but answered the question. "Yes," he said as he sat down next to Naruto, "and no. I admit I must keep you under some kind of surveillance but I mostly just wanted to make sure you were okay."

The look on both Kakashi and Naruto's faces was priceless.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with Sai?" Naruto asked as he began to pinch Sai's face as if he were a fake.

"I'll admit I have no idea how to go about doing this sort of thing." Sai answered as he slapped Naruto's hand away from his face. "But I read in a book that being there to console a friend helps to build a stronger bond." He smiled brightly at his teammate and sensei as they exchanged looks with each other, unsure if it was a genuine smile or not.

"I appreciate it Sai," Naruto said with a smile, but it quickly faded and his mood seemed to darken, "but this is something I have to do on my own. The only reason Kakashi and Yamato-sensei are going is because I'm still only a genin and Yamato-sensei can contain the Kyuubi, _if_ something should happen."

Sai was silent for a moment before nodding in acceptance. Naruto then looked at Kakashi and indicated to the time.

"It's getting late. If we're leaving tomorrow morning we should be heading to bed." Naruto ordered more than suggested.

Kakashi nodded in agreement and they all stood up and walked outside, stopping just long enough to say good night to each other before parting ways.

"Since I cannot go with you I wish the best of luck to you in regards to Sasuke." Sai said with a small smile.

"Thanks Sai." Naruto said returning the smile before turning his attention to the copy nin. "Kakashi-sensei, I'll meet you at the North gates tomorrow morning at seven. _Do not_ be late."

Kakashi's lazy eye smiled back at him as he waved him off. "Sure, sure. Tomorrow at seven, got it."

"Okay," Naruto said turning to leave, "see you tom-" Naruto stopped abruptly as he felt the sharp point of metal against his throat. Shifting his attention to who was in front of him he saw two ninja staring menacingly at him, but mostly on the woman who at the moment was hold a katana to his throat.

"You know Sasuke?" She asked before her mood darkened. "Tell us everything you know about him."

* * *

><p>Sakura, Ino, and Kiba were at the BBQ restaurant discussing the events that had transpired that day as a stoic Shino sat by listening in while they awaited the arrival of Tenten and Lee.<p>

"I can't believe this is happening." Ino said helplessly shaking her head in her hands.

"You're telling me, it's like neither one of them can catch a break." Kiba muttered in an irritated manner folding his arms.

"_I know."_ Sakura thought with a slight frown. "But maybe it was meant to be this way?" Sakura said quietly to herself before suddenly realizing that she actually had spoken the last part of her thought out loud. _"Oh my god! Did I really just say that?"_ Looking up she saw Ino's jaw practically hitting the table and Kiba staring at her with a shocked expression. Even Shino had his eyebrows raised in surprise. Sakura immediately looked down as she tried to cover the blush she felt beginning to burn across her cheeks. _"What the hell? Where did that come from?"_

"S-Sakura?" Ino began finally finding her voice again.

Sakura looked up but was saved as Shikamaru and Choji popped their heads into the booth but not before getting the 'we'll talk later' look from Ino.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Choji asked cheerfully while Shikamaru looked as if he were about to fall asleep, probably woken up and dragged there by his friend who was now drooling as he stared at the BBQ.

"Naruto got in a fight with Hiashi!" Ino blurted out before covering up her mouth.

Choji and Shikamaru glanced at each other before sitting down in the booth and staring at Ino.

"Okay, spill it." Shikamaru said looking at Ino curiously.

Ino shook her head before pointing at Sakura. "Sakura should tell it, she was there."

The two shifted their attention to the pink haired kunoichi as she began to explain what had happened that day. By the time she had finished the story with telling them that Hiashi had threatened Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage if he didn't leave Hinata alone Choji was choking on BBQ and Shikamaru had a very troubled look on his face.

"So after all that effort for her, he's not even allowed to see her. Man that's a total drag." Shikamaru muttered.

"No kidding," Choji said between mouthfuls, "I feel so bad for them."

Everyone at the table agreed, but Ino couldn't help sneaking a glance at Sakura and notice that she was blushing again. _"I am definitely gonna have to see what's up with that."_ She mentally swore to herself.

Just then, Lee and Tenten arrived at the booth to report that Naruto was back to his normal and happy-go-lucky self, much to everyone's relief.

"I don't get it though," Tenten asked, "why was he acting the way he was in the first place?"

"You mean you guys didn't figure it out?" Kiba asked surprised.

"No, as hard as we tried to uncover the mystery behind Naruto's strange behavior we could not uncover the truth." Lee said before standing up. "Naruto has truly become a master of secrecy! I will have to train ten times- No! One hundred times- No! One thou-" the rest was cut off as Tenten planted a solid fist down on top of Lee's head.

"Damn boy! Have you ever heard of volume control?" Tenten asked irritated as she wiggled her pinky finger in her ear.

"Forgive me Tenten, it is a work in progress." Lee said through his tears as he tenderly touched the knot on his head.

"In any case," Tenten said turning her attention back to the group, "what happened?"

So much to Sakura's dismay, she was forced to tell the story for the third time that day. She even tried to paraphrase most of it until Ino demanded that she tell the story in full and included every detail. So with a heavy sigh Sakura told the entire story and by the time she was finally done the entire group sat in complete silence.

"Well, look at that. The gang's all here."

Everyone looked at the opening of the booth to see a rather irritated Neji standing at the opening.

"How did the talk go?" Sakura asked, knowing that Neji had gone to speak with Hiashi about the incident.

Neji gritted his teeth as he thought back to the conversation he had with him. "Let's just say he isn't going to reconsider. The stubborn old fool."

Everyone looked disheartened with the news and silence fell across the group again. After a few moments, Tenten finally spoke.

"I understand that it sucks not being able to see a teammate and friend, but it's not like those two were really close right? I mean, Naruto barely ever noticed Hinata. What's the big deal?"

For the first time that night Shino spoke, reminding everyone that the bug user was still in the booth with them.

"It's true that Naruto never really noticed Hinata before, but that didn't mean that she wasn't important to him. Even though Hinata never spent much time around Naruto he still held her closely as someone important to him, like all of us. However, after the invasion of the village it's no secret that those two have become…closer."

Everyone in the room nodded silently in agreement at what he said.

"But how can Hiashi have any influence over Naruto becoming Hokage?" Kiba asked. "I know he's part of the village council and all but the dynamo is the one who decides the next Hokage."

"Yes that's true but isn't Danzo becoming Hokage a perfect example?" Shikamaru asked with a sigh. "It's no secret that the Fire Dynamo is a blubbering old bag of wind. Danzo basically muscled his way into the position. It's a drag but who's the Dynamo gonna believe: the head of the noble Hyuuga family that's been here since the founding of the village or a drop out knucklehead?"

"But he's a hero!" Tenten protested.

"That doesn't matter." Shikamaru said pointedly. "I've been on diplomatic missions with my dad and met the Fire Dynamo. Naruto doesn't stand a chance if Hiashi gets to him." He frowned as he remembered the hopelessness that was their ruler.

"So why doesn't he just go for Hinata then?" asked Ino. "I know that he swore he would become Hokage but he's always been searching for that special someone as well." She found herself unconsciously glancing in Sakura's direction.

"There's a problem that you all seem to be overlooking." Neji said with an unhappy frown. "Hiashi _is_ Hinata's father and a father's approval is the most important thing when it comes to a relationship."

"So they just run away then." Tenten suggested more than said.

"And leave family and friends behind? To be hunted by the village as rogue ninjas for the rest of their lives?" Shino asked. "No, Naruto wouldn't do that to Hinata and Hinata wouldn't want to put Naruto in anymore danger then what he's already in."

"In other words," Shikamaru stated bluntly. "Naruto is fucked."

Silence once again fell over the group as the realization of Naruto's predicament sunk in.

"So I guess the big question is," Ino asked out loud, "what are we gonna do?"

"Nothing." a small, quiet, familiar voice answered causing everyone to look in the direction of the voice in shock.

Standing just behind Neji with her arms wrapped around herself was Hinata staring at the floor.

"But…why?" asked Sakura who couldn't believe what she just heard. "He was just starting to notice you."

A small blush ran across her cheeks as she thought fondly back on the time they had spent together in the past week. However, the smile faded and the blush was replaced by tears as she remembered the events of that day.

"Because," she said softly trying to control her emotions as best she could as she wrapped her arms tighter around herself for comfort, "it's Naruto-kun's future, not anyone else's. We have no right to decide it for him." She looked up at Neji briefly with tears in her eyes before continuing. "It's up to him to decide what he wants. I refuse to put Naruto-kun's dreams in danger because of my selfishness."

Her tears were now forming a small puddle on the floor at her feet, growing drop by drop like the sense of defeat inside her. _"I was so close…so close to getting him to truly noticing me."_ Hinata turned away from the group embarrassed that her friends saw her in such an emotional wreck. _"I was so close until HE got in the way…"_ She gritted her teeth as she suddenly felt a strange emotion wash over her that she had never felt before. It slowly crept out of the dark corner in her heart and continued to grow and feed until it had completely consumed her body and mind. It was resentment, anger, and frustration all mixed into one powerful concoction. It demanded retribution for what her father had done. It begged for punishment to be dealt towards her father for the injustices he had committed to her Naruto-kun. _"He needs to answer for what he's done!"_

"Ano, Hinata? Are you okay?" Sakura asked in a concerned tone.

Hinata realized that her body was shaking in anger, her fists clenched tightly at her sides, and her breathing ragged but she didn't calm down, she only became angrier.

Glancing briefly over her shoulder she spoke in a whisper, her voice laced with killer intent so powerful it oppressed the atmosphere around them. "He needs to pay."

Everyone was shocked at the abnormal feeling radiating off of Hinata's body, and the hatred dripping from her words sent shivers down everyone's spines. Without another word she walked quickly out of the restaurant and headed towards her home. _"I'll make that worthless bastard pay for everything he's put me through!"_ She seethed as even more hatred spread throughout her body.

Back at the booth everyone was just coming back to reality as the shock wore off.

"What the hell was that?" Tenten asked in a whisper.

"Oh man, she's acting just like last time." Kiba said as he unconsciously put a hand to his throat.

"I'm sorry but I must leave now." Neji said with a slight look of confusion on his face as he stared after his cousin.

"I'll go with you Neji." Sakura said hurriedly, sensing that he was about to investigate his cousin's strange behavior.

"I was just about to suggest that." Neji said turning to look at her with a leveled gaze.

"Okay, see ya later everyone!" Sakura yelled as she grabbed Neji's hand and bolted for the door. _"Shit! They're back! Her eyes turned red again!"_ Her mind raced as she tried to find a way to subdue Hinata.

"Sakura," Neji asked as they ran towards the Hyuuga complex, "what is going on with my cousin? I saw something strange inside my cousin, it looked almost like…" He trailed off as he tried to find the right words.

"Like demonic chakra." Sakura finished and Neji nodded with a worried look. Sakura stared ahead as she tried to come up with an explanation. "It started when Naruto sealed the Kyuubi's chakra inside of her. It seems like it reacts to her emotions, like when she's really upset." She paused as she thought about it. "To be honest, it's exactly like how Naruto is; anger him too much and he loses control."

Neji was silent before he suddenly spoke. "Sakura, I think we should pick up the pace."

"Why? Do you think something might happen?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Neji said grimly, "but let's not wait around long enough to find out."

* * *

><p>Naruto stared rather irritated at the kunoichi in front of him holding a katana to his throat. Giving her a quick once over he saw that she wore a long, grey, short sleeved dress with a flak jacket along with fishnet stockings and knee high boots. Her striking amber colored eyes pierced through him as she stared angrily at him, expecting an answer. Because night had fallen he couldn't tell the color of her hair but he was fairly certain it was some derivative of red that was pulled back and held in place by her head band. His eyes traveled up to her head band and narrowed as he realized just where she was from. <em>"Hidden Cloud."<em> He thought to himself as he gritted his teeth. _"That explains why they want information on Sasuke. Probably want to know what they're up against."_ **"Hey Naruto."** Kyuubi called out trying to get his attention. _"Not now Kyuubi. I already said I was sorry." _

Relaxing, he put his hands in his pocket before nonchalantly tilting his head back to look at Kakashi. "Man sensei, I cannot catch a break today huh?"** "Naruto."** Kyuubi called out again, ignoring Naruto's request to be left alone.

Kakashi nodded slightly, curious as to what his student was up to. "Yes Naruto, it appears that way."

The kunoichi pressed the katana harder against Naruto's neck, unhappy that she was being ignored.

"I'm serious." she growled in contempt, "Tell me what you know about Uchiha Sasuke."

"**Narrrrrutooooo."** Kyuubi called out in almost sing-song. Naruto was starting to become irritated.

Her partner, who had white spiky hair that practically glowed in the dark and wore a long grey shirt with a hood, shin guards, red bandage-like hand wraps, and a flak jacket as well, furrowed his eyebrows as he seemed troubled by his partner's rather forceful attitude.

"**Naruto?" **Kyuubi called out once more.

Sucking on a lollipop for a moment, he finally spoke. "Karui, take it easy. There's no need to be forceful like this, they are our allies and should cooperate with us. If you go on like this you may end up killing him by accident." He switched the lollipop to the other side of his mouth before bringing a hand to his chin and becoming lost in thought. "If you kill him on accident, you might upset the clan he's from. They could be an extremely powerful clan and they might swear a blood oath that they will hunt you down and never rest until they kill you. Of course since I'm your teammate I will try to protect you, but will probably die defending you because it's an entire clan. Then you would be heart sickened and unable to cont-"

"-Will you shut the hell up Omoi!" Karui shouted obviously irritated at her teammate's wild imagination.

"**Naruto."**

"Hey, I'm just saying." Omoi said raising his hands in defense.

"**Naruto!"** Kyuubi said even louder this time. _"Not now!" _Naruto hissed back before turning his attention back to Karui. "If you two don't mind I'd like to head home. I'm not going to tell you anything because firstly, I don't like you and secondly, Sasuke is my friend. So this is just a waste of both your time and mine, plus I don't feel like standing here all night while you two argue." Naruto's face never faltered as he stared her straight in the eyes.

Omoi's eyes widened before he face palmed and muttered something to himself. However Karui's eyes narrowed.

"What did you say?" she hissed viciously between her teeth.

Naruto rolled his eyes annoyed. "I said-"

"**-Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! Naruto! NARRRRUTOOOO!" **Kyuubi's voice thundered inside his head.

"_FOR GOD'S SAKE WHAT?"_ Naruto screamed inside his head in utter defeat while clenching his fists and tried to control his breathing.

"**Never mind…I forgot."** Kyuubi said shyly.

"YOU FORGOT?" Naruto screamed throwing his hands in the air and causing everyone to recoil in shock. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN 'YOU FORGOT'?" Everyone stared at him as if he had grown another head as words became lost to them. Kyuubi, however, was rolling in his cage crying because he was laughing so hard.

"I didn't say anything about forgetting something…" Karui said slowly, confused as to what was happening.

"Not you!" Naruto snapped before suddenly staring off into nothing again, waiting for Kyuubi to answer.

"**I don't know I just did. I got all excited and just…forgot."** Kyuubi said as innocently as he could.

"Aaargh!" was all Naruto could get out as he started to stomp away towards his apartment. **"Oh relax! I'm just having some fun with you."** Kyuubi said rolling his eyes. _"Now's not the time!"_ Naruto thought angrily. **"Oh I was just trying to loosen you up kit." **Kyuubi huffed. **"Honestly, you're wound up like a spring."**

"Hey! I'm not finished with you!" Karui shouted after him.

"Well I'm finished with you!" Naruto said tersely not even turning his head. However, after he had gone a few steps Karui appeared in front of him blocking his way.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me what I want to know about that Uchiha bastard!" she yelled determinedly.

After everything that had happened that day, Naruto finally snapped. "Why the hell do you want to know about him so bad?" he yelled angrily. "Why is he so god damn important that you had to travel all the way here to our damaged village to get information on him and want him dead?"

"Because that bastard kidnapped our sensei!" Karui yelled as she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"What?" Naruto asked confused.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Omoi stepped in, "showed up when our sensei, Bee-sama, was training. He and his teammates attacked Bee-sama and kidnapped him." "

"That's why we want information on him." Karui continued blinking away tears. "We want to rescue our sensei!"

"Bee-sama? As in Killer Bee, the jinchuriki of the Hidden Cloud Village?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes, the very same." Omoi said nodding.

"I don't understand," Naruto asked, "what would Sasuke want with the jinchuriki of the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"Well it's no secret that the Akatsuki have been hunting down the jinchuriki." Omoi said pointedly.

"What?" Naruto and Kakashi said in unison.

"That can't be, Sasuke would never join them!" Naruto yelled, angry at the accusations against his friend.

"Sasuke was reported as wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it which matches the description of what the Akatsuki wear." Karui said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There's no way we can forgive him for what he's done! Our sensei is most likely gone forever!" she said bitterly as she fought back tears.

"I highly doubt that." Naruto said calmly causing both Karui and Omoi to look at him in confusion. "It takes the Akatsuki about three days to extract the tailed beast from the jinchurik, probably even longer now that they're low on man power."

"So…there's still time to save our sensei?" Omoi asked hopefully.

"Yes." Naruto assured with a nod.

The two Cloud nin looked relieved but then Karui's look hardened.

"Don't think that this changes anything." she spat out angrily. "I'll still have that bastards head."

Naruto was silent for a moment before turning to Kakashi and Sai. "Kakashi-sensei, I think you better go inform Yamato-sensei of our plans for tomorrow. I'm going home to rest."

Kakashi looked warily at Naruto for a moment before he nodded. "See you in the morning then." And with that he leapt away.

Naruto then looked at Sai. "Could you please leave us alone?" he asked. "There's something I want to talk to these two about." He said motioning with his thumb to the Cloud nin.

Sai nodded and turned around, walking down the street before turning the corner and leaving.

Once Sai was gone Karui turned and looked at Naruto.

"What do you want? Are you going to spill it about Sasuke?" She asked with an edge in her voice.

"No." Naruto said simply much to the irritation of the kunoichi. "I could never betray my friend like that." he said with a sad smile.

"Then what do you want?" she spat out at him.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _"God forgive me."_ he thought to himself. **"Naruto, what are you doing?"** Kyuubi asked warily. Exhaling and opening his eyes Naruto reached into his kuni pouch. **"Naruto, NO!" **Kyuubi yelled but before either one of the Cloud nin could react, Naruto rushed Karui.

* * *

><p>Hinata reached the complex in nothing short of a blind fury. Upon reaching the gates she looked straight at the guards and glared them down.<p>

"Where's Hiashi?" she snapped, impatiently activating her Byakugan and searching the grounds without waiting for an answer.

Before the stunned guard could stammer out a response she found her father in his office and stormed off, but not before muttering about how useless they were leaving the two guards standing there stunned with their mouths agape.

"What the hell was that?" Kenchi asked turning to his partner.

"I don't know." The other said and then shivered. "But I would not want to be Hiashi-sama right now." After a moment he added. "Should we have someone go check on them?"

"No." Neji's voice answered with authority.

"Why not Neji-san?" Kenchi asked.

"Because I will take care of it, stay at your stations." Neji said quickly before walking off the way Hinata had gone.

"Please excuse Hinata's behavior." Sakura said quickly before give a small bow. "She's still a little on edge from the _incident_." With that being said she quickly ran after Neji. The two guards looked at each other confused before shrugging and going back to their duties.

Hinata reached the door to her father's office and activated her Byakugan to see what he was doing. Truly worthy of being the head of the clan, Hiashi had already sensed the activation of her Byakugan and the killer intent radiating from her and was sitting patiently waiting for her to enter but ready for a fight. _"Bastard."_ she seethed in rage, _"He has no idea what's in store for him!"_ Grabbing the handle of the door she practically ripped the door out of the guides as she slid it open with a crash. As she crossed the threshold of the office she felt a brief flicker pain like a pin prick, but dismissed it since her Byakugan didn't see anything. However, as soon as her foot landed inside the office she felt a wave of calmness wash over her. Her sense began to dull and her anger began to recede slowly. Not missing a beat though, she walked straight up to her father and stared him hard in the eyes.

"Hinata, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded angrily.

"Well _father,_ since you asked I'll tell you." She spat at him, "I couldn't help but over hear that you told Naruto-kun to stay away from me. Why is that?" she asked even though she knew the answer.

"I don't know how you found out but since you want to know so bad I'll tell you. I told him to stay away from you because he is a poison, a ticking time bomb of disaster that spells destruction for anyone close to him." He said with a glare. "And deactivate your eyes! You have some nerve barging in here with those activated!"

Hinata ignored the order though and spoke, although it was getting difficult to focus. "So what you mean is, you told Naruto-kun to stay away from me because you think he's nothing but trash, even after SAVING THE ENTIRE VILLAGE!" she said screaming the last part at him as she slammed her fists down on his desk.

Hiashi rose, furious at the disrespect he was receiving from his own daughter.

"Say another word," he said venomously, "and I'll-"

"-Word." Hinata whispered defiantly back at him. She had deactivated her eyes at this point, unable to control her chakra anymore but she was determined to see this conversation through to the end. It was just getting so hard to focus now and she had to grip the desk just to keep from swaying and falling over. _"What is going on?"_ she wondered in confusion.

"How dare you!" Hiashi shouted in outrage.

"How dare I? How dare I?" Hinata shouted back just as loud in disbelief. "How dare _you_ treat Naruto-kun the way you did! His entire life has been nothing but Hell and when he finally begins to feel a little bit of happiness you drop this on him! This disgusting, horrible, cruel choice!" she shouted as she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes. _"What? No! Not now! Where was all that strength I felt earlier? Where did it vanish to?"_ The room was beginning to spin now but Hinata forced herself to remain standing and focus.

"I did what I did to protect you." Hiashi said quietly, trying to calm down as best he could.

"Oh how fatherly of you." Hinata remarked sarcastically. "_Thank you_ for looking out for me." she said as she did a slightly uncoordinated bow but it got the message across.

"What do you want daughter? What was your purpose for barging in here like a heathen?" Hiashi snapped.

"You!" Hinata whispered digging her nails into the desk. "I want you, father. Tomorrow at noon, meet me in the dojo with the elders. If I win, you dismiss this stupid ultimatum you have put on Naruto-kun and you will apologize to him."

Hiashi thought quietly for a moment before speaking. "I accept your request daughter."

Hinata stood up with a triumphant look on her face before turning and heading for the door, trying to walk in the straightest line possible.

"However." her father's voice rung out stopping her in her tracks. "If I win, you will forget about that demon boy and marry the man that I choose. And you will do it willingly."

Hinata dread swell up inside of her and consume her whole body. _"Never see Naruto-kun again? Marry a man that my father chooses who I don't even love? I can't accept this, it's too risky!"_ Despair filled her heart as her resolve began to erode away. She felt the tears she had been holding back finally become unleashed as they raced down her cheeks like small floods. _"No!"_ she thought to herself. _"I've come too far! I've said what I wanted to say and I can't go back on my word now, it's my nindo!"_

Stopping the flow of tears she gathered herself up before speaking. "Fine. Just don't be late." she said bitterly as she slid the door behind her with another crash.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Hiashi said with a dark smile.

Hinata made it one step before the drug in her body overcame her finally and she collapsed to the floor. A dark shadow shot out and caught her just in time before she hit however, and cradled her carefully as the figure turned and walked down the hall only to be joined by another shadowy figure.

"That was close." Sakura whispered looking down at the unconscious Hyuuga princess.

"Too close." Neji said with a frown. "I was hoping the drug would take effect before she did anything rash but it appears that is not the case."

"Let's just be thankful she didn't attack him right there in the office." Sakura said with a sigh of relief. "By the way, nice throw with the needle. I would have never known where to throw it to get past her Byakugan."

Neji smiled briefly. "What can I say; for once I'm thankful the Byakugan has a blind spot."

Reaching Hinata's room, Neji tucked her away into bed before he and Sakura exited the room and walked towards the gate.

"Do you think Hinata can win?" Sakura asked breaking the silence.

Neji sighed and closed his eyes. "Logically, no." Sakura looked down at her feet and frowned. "However," Neji said gently looking up at the stars with a small smile, "my heart can't help but ignore that logic and believe that she can win."

Sakura smiled as well and reaching the gates she said good night to Neji before running home across the rooftops. _"For your sake Hinata," _she prayed_ "I hope you can win."_

* * *

><p>Naruto stood a few inches away from Karui staring her straight in the eyes while her katana buried deep into his chest and stuck out the back dripping blood. <em>"Damn I hate getting stabbed!"<em> Naruto thought gritting his teeth. **"You're telling me baka!"** Kyuubi yelled angrily. _"Will you stop your bitching? You can't even feel anything!"_ yelled back wincing in pain. **"So?" **Kyuubi retorted angrily. **"It's still a pain in the ass to heal!" **Naruto could help it as a small chuckle escaped his lips and Karui stood there stunned.

"Why?" she whispered confused. "Why did you attack me?"

Naruto smiled slightly as his hand slipped from his pouch and fell to his side revealing an empty hand.

"I don't understand?" Karui said confused as she lost the grip of her katana and took a step back.

Naruto shuffled forward keeping the distance between them. "Give me your anger." Naruto whispered quietly, piercing through her with his cerulean eyes. "Leave Sasuke out of this."

"But you've done nothing wrong! Sasuke-"

"-Sasuke is confused and in a dark place." Naruto interjected. "Let me shoulder the pain you feel."

"I-I can't!" Karui said taking another step back but not making a difference as Naruto took another step forward.

Omoi stood silently by taking the scene in. _"This guy is something else. He doesn't rat out his traitorous friend and then he offers to take his place for punishment."_

Naruto continued to stare Karui down, never blinking once.

"Well then I guess Sasuke has nothing to worry about then." Naruto's tone changing suddenly to a snide remark. **"Uh, Naruto…what are you doing?"** Kyuubi asked as once again he became aware that his prison guard was about to do something regrettable.

"What do you mean? I will make that Uchiha bastard pay for what he did!" Karui said defensively.

"Yeah right." Naruto sneered. "You couldn't even take me down with a sword." he said pointing down to the katana sticking in his chest. "You're weak." **"Okay Naruto that's enough."** "You're pathetic." **"Seriously baka, stop."** "It's no wonder your sensei was captured, he's probably as weak as you!" **"God damn it, now you've done it!"**

Before Naruto could blink Karui grabbed her katana and kicked him off of her sword, sending him flying into the concrete wall behind him. Slowly she began walking towards him radiating killer intent and shaking in rage, her breathing hard and ragged.

"Don't you _ever_ insult my sensei like that again or else I _will_ kill you." She whispered maliciously. Looking down at her clenched fists she continued. "I will _never_ be able to forgive that Uchiha. I have too much anger, too much hate inside of me."

Naruto looked up slowly, bloody trickling down his lips and from his chest. Slowly, very slowly he stood up before looking at her. "I'm not asking you to forgive him." Naruto said quietly. "I'm asking you to leave him alone…But if it helps, give me your anger and hate."

Closing the distance quickly, Karui grabbed Naruto by the front of his shirt and pulled him towards her.

"You think you can handle my hate? You think you can save Sasuke?" she hissed at him as her eyes glowed evilly in the night.

"I made a promise that I would save him. I won't go back on my word now." Naruto whispered determinedly.

"Fine." Karui said as she let go of him. "Let's see how long you last!"

Cocking a fist back, she slammed it into Naruto's cheek causing him to bounce his head off the concrete wall before falling to the ground. Without missing a beat he looked up to her and spoke unwavering.

"Give me your hate."

Like a banshee screeching through the country side in the dead of night, a terrible and frightening cry erupted from Karui's throat as she descended upon Naruto landing devastating after devastating blow. Each punch elicited a dull sickening thud as fist collided with unprotected flesh and bone. A blood mist enveloped the two as Karui rained down the blows, feeling herself become consumed and driven by hate. After five minutes of relentless blows, Karui finally ran out of strength and collapsed to the side of Naruto. Another minute passed as she caught her breath before standing up slowly. Then, to her and Omoi's amazement Naruto slowly stood up as well.

"This changes nothing!" Karui spat out, upset that he was able to move after the beating he had just taken.

Naruto simply stared back at her through the swollen, black and blue slits that were his eyes. Cocking her fist back she threw another punch but was surprised when it didn't connect.

* * *

><p>Sai knelt on top of a nearby apartment rooftop and watched in amazement as Naruto allowed himself to be pummeled by the Cloud ninja.<em> "Why Naruto?" <em>asked himself _"Why do you continue to jeopardize yourself for the sake of that traitor?"_ Then he remembered what Sakura had said earlier.

"Naruto would sacrifice his life for anyone that he holds precious to him."

"I sure hope he's as precious as you think he is Naruto." Sai said quietly to himself as he continued to watch the beating.

Finally, after about five minutes the kunoichi looked as if she was done and not a moment too soon. Naruto looked terrible and was definitely in need of medical attention. However, the Cloud nin randomly pulled back another fist and prepared to throw another blow, but Sai suddenly felt a strange feeling come over him, an urge to protect his teammate. In the blink of an eye Sai disappeared from the rooftop and appeared before the Cloud nin shocking her and catching her fist midflight. He was worried that her teammate would intervene but from the look on his face he appeared to almost be thankful that someone had stepped in to stop his teammate.

"Sai…" Naruto said quietly looking at the art ninja defending him. "Stay out of this, it doesn't concern you."

"Why Naruto?" Sigh asked tossing Karui's fist down to the side and turning to look at Naruto. "Why is he so important?" Almost instantly Sai could see guilt flash through his eyes.

"Because he is…" Naruto said looking down in shame. A sudden throb of pain caused him to fall back against the wall and then slide down it.

"_Although he defends a traitor and a rogue ninja, his unwavering loyalty is truly admirable."_ Omoi thought looking on in awe.

"As if that matters!" Karui spat out in between pants.

"Karui, that's enough!"

Everyone turned to see a blonde haired Cloud kunoichi with a rather gifted chest standing with her arms crossed looking very agitated.

"Samui, how did you find us?" Karui said looking guilty.

"What are you kidding?" Samui asked evenly. "The whole village could hear you screaming like a maniac."

Karui stood quietly in her place before glancing over at Naruto. Samui followed her gaze and saw a broken shinobi sitting on the ground in a heap. Looking at him closely her eyes widened in a mixture of fear and shock as she realized who it was. _"That's…Uzumaki Naruto. The hero of the Hidden Leaf village and the one who defeated the Akatsuki leader, Pain."_ Turning on her subordinate, Samui let loose into Karui openly showing her emotions for once in public.

"Do you even realize who that is?" She yelled as she towered over a cowering Karui.

Afraid to answer her team leader she simple shook her head.

"This is Uzumaki Naruto, the hero who saved this village and the people from total inhalation." said in a voice of awe.

Both Omoi and Karui's eyes widened as the realization dawned on them and they both stared at Naruto.

"The fact that you're still breathing," Samui continued, "is a miracle in itself!" Turning to Naruto and Sai her face softened. "Naruto-sama, please forgive my teammates." she apologized sincerely. "They can be total _idiots_ at times." she said shooting Karui a death look and nearly causing her to fall over in fear.

She then noticed that Naruto had not said let alone stirred during the entire time she had been talking.

"Ano, Naruto-sama?" she asked hesitantly.

"Please forgive my comrade." Sai said stepping in and giving her a small yet warm smile. "He will be fine but I should get him some medical assistance for the stab wound to his chest."

Samui's eyes narrowed at the realization that her subordinate may have just made a huge mistake. "I cannot even begin to tell you how sorry I am for their actions." she said with a quick bow. "At least allow me to assist you in getting him to the hospital."

Sai waved her off with a smile as he grabbed one of Naruto's arms and pulled it around his shoulder standing him up. "No, it's quiet alright. I would hate for you to have to get blood all over your lovely che-"

Sai was quickly cut off as Naruto suddenly stopped on his foot causing him to realize he was about to make a critical mistake.

"-features." he finished with another small smile.

To her teammates surprise as well as her own, Samui actually blushed and she absent-mindedly pushed some hair behind her ear. "Thank you…"

"Sai."

"Thank you Sai." she said with a small smile before regaining her composure. "We must be off, once again my apologies for the way my teammates acted. I hope this will not affect our relationship between the countries."

"Don't worry about it." Naruto said quietly looking up with great effort with a bloodied smile. "It was nothing more than a sparring match."

Samui nodded gratefully before speaking. "Well we must be off. Karui, Omoi, let's go!"

"Have a safe trip back my lady." Sai said waving with his free hand and giving one more small smile, gaining another blush from Samui before he turned and started walking Naruto to the hospital.

"So…" Naruto whispered quietly with a small grin, "Where did you learn to talk like that Casanova?"

Sai gave a small shrug. "I read it somewhere."

"Mind telling me where exactly?" Naruto asked trying to suppress the smile attempting to cross his broken face.

Sai simply pulled a book out of his pouch. Although it was night, the soft wash of the moon revealed one of the brightly covered books that his sensei loved to read so much.

"I thought as much." Naruto said knowingly before the smile finally escaped and he added. "Perv."

"Oh?" Sai questioned. "What about you?"

"I didn't have a choice" Naruto said continuing to grin. "Pervy Sage forced me to read and edit them."

"As if that's an excuse." Sai said bluntly before they both broke out into a small chuckle. They walked for a few moments in silence before Naruto spoke again.

"Sai?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Sakura about what happened tonight." he said as he lowered his head in shame.

"But-"

"Just promise me you won't!" he said looking at him pleadingly.

Sai was quiet for second before nodding. "I promise."

"Thanks." Naruto said with a smile. "Now what do ya say we call it a night before we end up dead?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sai said, returning the smile.

Although it was late, two small shadows moved briskly from rooftop to rooftop, making their way quickly towards the Hyuuga complex. They moved with precision, determined to accomplish the mission they had like true shinobi: to be in and out without ever being noticed. For them, the night had just begun.


	8. Odd Feelings

**Author's Note: So I know it's practically Saturday but it's been a crazy so get off my case and be happy for another chapter! It is time to pick up the pace however so this will be the last chapter that will be building up to action so be ready! However, I regret to inform all my loyal readers that finals are coming up so you may have to wait an extra week before a new chapter is released. With that being said I decided to check my story stats and I am happy to say that I am well past the 7.5k mark meaning I am "supposedly" averaging over a thousand hits per chapter! So I would like to say thank you! As usual please review, hell even if it's to say hi! **

**A pen name no one has: I am so glad you are enjoying this story. I am trying my best to make this as realistic as possible!**

**God of all: Thanks and you bet I'll continue!**

**GunnerRyu: Glad you think so. Would it have anything to do with Hinata's outburst? ;) **

**Kingswriter: Not exactly…but you'll see!**

**Rose Tiger: I'm sure everyone wants her to win but where's the fun in writing something predictable? Mwhahahaha!**

**Well enough waiting around, here's the next chapter! Please, please, please REVIEW!**

**Chapter 8: Odd Feelings**

Sakura landed on the street a few blocks away from the temporary apartment complex where she and her family were living. As she walked alone down the dark street the night air was filled with nothing but the scuff of ground underneath her sandals and the occasional dog barking somewhere. However none of this actually reached Sakura's ears as she found herself lost in the depths of her mind. "_I hope Hinata can win, but can she really beat her father? He is the head of their clan for a reason. And what happens if she does lose, then what?" _She had a million things running through her mind and yet one random thought managed to surface through all the confusion. _"If she loses to her father, then that means I could get closer to Naruto without feeling guilty."_ Sakura found herself standing still in the middle of the road shocked at what she had just thought of. If it wasn't for the cool dark night air then one could have seen her face burning up with a fiery blush. _"Where does this keep coming from?"_ she screamed in her head. _"He's just a friend and a teammate yet I keep thinking these things about him. Am I really starting to fall for him?"_ Sakura wanted the answer to her questions but she had none, so with a defeated sigh she continued walking and soon found herself in front of her apartment.

Walking around the side of the building she found the staircase and climbed the two flights of stairs to the second floor. Continuing down the bare wooden hallway, she arrived at her door. Sticking her key into the lock she opened the door and walked into the small living room barely noticing the faint yellow sticky note on the door. Pausing for a moment she read it off the door, her eyes quickly scanned the message.

_Girls sleep over at my place, be there billboard brow we have things to talk about._

_-Ino_

_PS. If you don't come willingly we will come get you!_

Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. The last thing she wanted to do was explain to the other girls what she was thinking when she didn't even know herself. _"Forget it; they can wait until I sort it out myself." _Dragging herself to her room she quickly got a change of clothes and showered off. However, just as she was about to plop into bed her bedroom door burst open and there stood Ino and Tenten looking down on her with evil smiles.

"H-How did you guys get in here?" Sakura stuttered in shock.

Tenten gave a little wink and held up a thin kuni. "It's not like it was that hard to jimmy the lock."

"So you thought you'd ditch us huh?" Ino asked putting her hands on her hips.

Sakura simply replied by lying down on her bed and pulling the covers up over her head. "Go away, I'm tired and I don't feel like getting drilled with your pointless questions."

"Look who's talking," Tenten said with an accusatory laugh. "If it was anyone else you'd be all for it."

All Sakura did was reply with a curt "hmph" before rolling over.

"Alright Sakura, if you're going to be like that, have it your way then." Ino said forming a square with her hands and pointing it at the pink haired kunoichi. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

There was a brief pause before Ino's body slumped to the ground and Sakura suddenly pulled the covers down and jumped out of bed.

"Okay Tenten, " Sakura/Ino said scooping up her unconscious body, "Let's head back down stairs."

And with an evil laugh the girls left the Haruno's apartment and went a floor down to the Yamanaka's.

* * *

><p>Naruto once again found himself on top of the Hokage monument for the second time that night staring up at the stars. Lying on top of his father's head he let his mind drift, not thinking about anything in particular really and more or less just staring into nothingness. After being patched up at the hospital he and Sai had gone their separate ways, but Naruto was too awake so he let his feet carry him until he found himself up on the monument yet again. Taking a deep breath he sighed deeply. He had a lot going on but he just didn't want to think about it at the moment. Watching the stars twinkle and flicker in the sky Naruto randomly began to sense a presence from the bushes behind him. Not wanting to make an effort he said nothing and continued to stare up at the dark sky and waited for whoever it was to come out. After five minutes of waiting Naruto finally became impatient.<p>

"You can come out whenever you feel like it." He said rather annoyed.

There was a moment of silence followed by the rustle of bushes and a soft chuckle as a small shadow emerged and walked towards him.

"My, my, aren't you good." Said a familiar voice.

Because of the darkness Naruto couldn't see who it was until the figure was just in front of him. As his eyes finally recognized who it was Naruto couldn't help it as a small smile graced his lips.

"Old man Jihibiki, what are you doing here?" he asked.

Jihibiki simply smiled toothily and walked over to sit down next to Naruto. "I came here to see you." he said after a moment.

"Me?" Naruto asked perplexed. "Why?"

Jihibiki chuckled again and gazed up at the stars. "Well for I came for two reasons. One was because you remind me of my grandson. He always used to get into trouble but had a way of just lightening the mood for everyone." He then slowly looked at Naruto and his face grew serious. "And two, it's about the Hyuuga girl."

"What's wrong with her? Is everything okay?" Naruto asked hurriedly. He could feel fear begin to swirl in his chest.

Jihibiki raised his hands in defense and tried to calm Naruto down. "Relax boy, she's fine for the moment."

"Then what's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"It's her seal. Let's just say it isn't working like it's supposed to." Jihibiki said seriously.

"What's wrong with it? Did it come undone?" Naruto asked quickly standing up in panic.

"My god boy, relax and sit down!" Jihibiki yelled in frustration. _"He's just as bad as his mother!"_ Naruto sat down obediently and looked expectantly at him for an answer. So with a sigh he continued. "It turns out that the seal you used did not completely lock away the Kyuubi's chakra. In fact, the seal is practically an exact replica of the seal that is on you." he said as he motioned to Naruto's stomach.

"So…what are you saying old man?" Naruto asked.

"I'm saying that the seal didn't work like we thought it would. Yes it has sealed away the chakra, but it is still leaking out slowly and it's beginning to influence her."

"Influence her? How?" Naruto asked but he had a feeling what the old crow next to him meant.

"As in it is causing her to act impulsively. It is feeding off of her negative emotions, just like the Kyuubi's chakra in you and it's causing her to do things she normally would never do."

Naruto felt dread begin to turn in the pit of his stomach. _"What have I done to her? She doesn't deserve this, I've ruined her life!"_ Jihibiki's cough brought him back from his thoughts but he still had a hurt expression on his face.

"I know that you think that this is your fault, but you did save the girls life…twice." Jihibiki said softly. "Don't blame yourself for this; let's just try to make it better."

Naruto was a quiet for a moment before he nodded. _"He's right, what's done is done. I have to do whatever I can to make things right…Even if it means never reaching my dreams. I could never live with myself knowing that I screwed up her life."_ "What do I have to do?" he asked with determination in his voice.

Jihibiki smiled at his response, happy with what he had heard. "As of right now? Nothing." Then, suddenly he went ridged for a moment before his toothy smiled grew even bigger. He then leaned in closer and spoke to Naruto as if telling him a secret. "But if I were you, I would head home right now and get some sleep. You're going to need it for tomorrow." He said quietly with a small laugh and nudged him with an elbow.

"_What the hell is he talking about?"_ Naruto thought in utter bewilderment. "What do you mean?" Naruto asked confused.

Jihibiki just laughed again and shook his head. "I mean if you want to fix what's wrong with the princess, you're going to need a full night's sleep."

* * *

><p>Hinata lay in her bedroom in a deep sleep from the heavy sedative that Sakura and Neji had injected her with to calm her down. The soft pale moonlight streamed through her window lighting a section of her dark room with a pleasant glow. A soft breeze blew her lavender silk-like curtains and carried the sound of the crickets' lullaby in through her window. Breathing quietly, she lay there in her warm bed unaware of her surroundings, even when two shadowy figures arrived at her window and watched from the outside.<p>

"You're certain this is her room?" A woman whispered quietly, her voice riddled with old age.

"Of course, when am I ever wrong?" A man answered cockily, his voice sounding no better.

"Would you the list chronologically or alphabetically?" The woman asked with a smirk.

The man cursed under his breath before hissing back. "Just get inside so we can get this over quickly!"

With a brief nod the two entered the room and quickly got their bearings. Crossing the room silently like a shadow through the night, the woman locked Hinata's door and placed a sound seal in the center of it. As she turned around she saw the man closing Hinata's window and doing the same thing.

"So," Jihibiki said as he crossed the room and walked over to look down at Hinata as she slept, "this is the girl? I can see why the boy has taken an interest in her."

Renge nodded as she joined him. "Yes, the boy certainly has good taste. Natural beauty like that is a rarity."

"Hm, you say something?" the old man asked as he shook his head but didn't break eye contact with the girl.

Renge looked at her husband who was now drooling and followed his line of sight down to the young Hyuuga's chest, which was more prominent now that she was lying on her back. In a flash Jihibiki found himself face down on the floor with a huge knot on the top of his head causing him to cry out in pain.

"Damn it Renge what was that for?" he yelled as he tried to nurse the throbbing lump.

"That was for staring at the poor defenseless girl while she is unconscious you pervert!"

Jihibiki started to stand up when he was sent crashing to the floor yet again and bright lights flashed before his eyes. "And THAT was for doing it front of your wife!" Renge said icily as her eyes bore holes into her helpless husband.

"I c-couldn't h-help it d-dear! They're just so…" he trailed off and coward as his wife was about to strike him again but stopped when she heard Hinata whisper something causing them both to freeze.

"I thought you said she would be out?" Jihibiki said quickly becoming serious as he stood up and looked at Hinata closely.

"I did, she was heavily sedated with a drug. She must be talking in her sleep." Renge said defensively with a huff.

As if on cue Hinata spoke again, softly and almost like a purr. "Oh, Naaaarutoooo…"

The amount of sheer embarrassment that donned the two old shinobi was priceless.

"I think we should hurry up and get this over with. It's starting to become uncomfortable in here." Renge said with a blush.

"And a little hot." Jihibiki added with a smirk and a wink earning him a third smack on the head.

Getting serious, the two pulled back Hinata's covers and lifted her jacket and shirt to inspect the seal. However, the only thing that met their eyes was the soft pale skin of Hinata's stomach.

"Just as I thought." Jihibiki said. "Honey, would you mind channeling a little chakra into her stomach?"

Renge nodded and placed a hand on Hinata's stomach. A calm blue aura appeared from her hand and then descended onto Hinata's stomach. A few seconds later the black swirling seal appeared and Jihibiki bent down and studied it. After a minute of staring at it intently he nodded to his wife and she stopped.

"So, what's the verdict?" she asked as she pulled Hinata's jacket down.

"Just as I suspected, the seal is just slightly off which is causing the demonic chakra to leak out slowly and influence the girl."

Renge thought for a moment before asking another question. "But I thought if the seal was done incorrectly then it would not work and both of them would die? Therefore the seal must have been done correctly."

Jihibiki nodded. "Right as always dear except for one thing. Naruto-kun didn't have enough chakra to complete the seal. He managed to do all two hundred hand signs correct, which I must say is extremely impressive, but he lacked the chakra that was required."

Renge rubbed her chin as she processed what she heard, her hair glowing like embers in the night. "Then how was the seal completed? Naruto-kun is an Uzumaki after all so I figured he would have the stamina to complete the seal."

Jihibiki nodded again. "Correct again dear, but don't forget that he fought two missing ninjas that were potential Akatsuki replacements and then had to create enough shadow clones to perfect the seal within a hour." he explained. "In all reality he should not have even been conscious, no one would be able to after that. I believe that Naruto-kun walked into that room expecting to die to save this girl."

Renge couldn't help but smile at Naruto's selflessness, but it soon faded as another question nagged at her. "Then how was the seal completed? Naruto-kun should have been drained down to nothing and the seal should have failed."

Jihibiki was silent for a moment as he thought about the question but then suddenly smiled when he came up with the answer. "Before I answer that honey let me ask you another question first. Do you think Naruto-kun new that shoving chakra inside of this girl would save her or do you think that he may have been influenced?"

"Well, we have no records of Naruto-kun learning any kind of medical jutsu." She said slowly. "So I guess he must have been influenced. But by who?"

Jihibiki simply smiled slyly and raised his two hands to the top of his head mimicking ears. Renge's eyes widened as the realization hit her.

"You don't think Kurama helped him do you?" she gasped.

Jihibiki nodded. "It's the only way it would have worked. Before Naruto-kun could use the last of his chakra Kurama must have forced some of his chakra into the seal, finishing it off and saving the boy. However, because it was demonic chakra it managed to weaken the seal slightly. Thus causing the demonic chakra to leak out when this girl is in certain emotional distress."

"But why would he help Naruto-kun?" Renge wondered.

"Well, didn't Kushina-chan say that she managed to befriend Kurama just before she died?" Jihibiki asked.

Renge nodded and then smiled. "I guess that Naruto-kun has managed to do the same, but they must not entirely agree with one another since Naruto-kun has yet to take control of Kurama's chakra." She thought for a moment longer before asking, "So what are we going to do about the girl and the seal?"

Jihibiki already knew the answer. "Even though this seal is the strongest one known to the ninja world, its weakened state due to Kurama's chakra leaves it as a liability. We either leave it be, or release the seal and allow the girl to go bat-shit crazy for a few hours."

Renge frowned at this. "I don't like the idea of that, and I'm sure neither would the villagers. They've already been through enough as it is." She sighed as she fiddled with the end of some of her hair. "What if we used a one pronged seal on top of it?" she suggested more than asked.

Jihibiki thought for a moment. "All that seal would do is suppress her more extreme emotions."

"Exactly, that's what the demonic chakra feeds off of right? So if she can't feel those emotions then the chakra can't escape."

"No." Jihibiki said shaking his head. "There are two problems with that. The first is that it is wrong to suppress someone's emotions, regardless of what they feel. The second is that it's a weak seal so it wouldn't be able to stand up to a strong chakra filled attack regardless of it being taijutsu or ninjutsu."

"Well it's not like we have a choice." Renge huffed. "How about we work on another option and in the mean time we use a one pronged seal?"

Jihibiki was quiet for awhile but unable to come up with a better option he finally agreed with a nod. "Fine, but this is by no means permanent. Just a quick fix."

"Of course dear." Renge said as she went through some seals before raising her pointer finger up and a pale blue flame appeared flickering in an invisible wind. "Sealing Technique: One Pronged Emotionless Seal."

As Renge said this she jabbed her finger into the center of Hinata's stomach and right in the center of the twelve pointed seal. There was a brief flash of light and then the kanji for 'seal' appeared in the center of the spiral before both seals faded away. Gently covering Hinata back up, Renge then turned to speak to her husband.

"There, that ought to take care of things for the time being. As long as she doesn't get into any fights she should be-" but she stopped short as she watched her husband's face pale in the dark room causing him to look like a ghostly specter. "What's wrong Jihibiki?"

"How could we forget?" he asked incredulously.

"Forget what?" she asked.

"This girl is supposed to fight her father tomorrow! They're trained in the Gentle Fist, if he lands a single blow to her stomach its over." Jihibiki said quietly.

"Then what will we do? Her father is the clan leader; he's a master in the art." Renge asked worriedly.

Jihibiki was stroked his chin for a moment before grinning sheepishly. "Well I guess our only option is to get Naruto-kun to watch the fight and keep an eye on it. We can't stop them from fighting since it isn't our business."

This upset Renge and she frowned before asking, "Why does Naruto-kun have to be there? Why drag him into this and potentially get him in trouble?"

"Because," Jihibiki answered honestly, "we are too old to intervene _if_ something does happen. Plus, no one else in the village would be able to stop this girl from going on a blood lust rampage except for the boy."

Jihibiki's reasons were logical but that still didn't mean that Renge liked them.

"Fine." She muttered folding her arms. "Get a hold of the boy and tell him what we're gonna need him to do. Hopefully he'll understand and cooperate."

Jihibiki smiled and nodded. "Don't worry dear, I have a feeling he wouldn't miss it for the world."

With that, Jihibiki suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke and across the village the real Jihbiki stiffened up in the middle of his conversation with Naruto as he was relayed the information.

"I don't understand old man, what are you talking about?" Naruto asked confused.

A sly smile slid across the old man's face. "Let's just say you're going to need a full night's sleep." He then proceeded to tell Naruto what was going to happen the next day.

* * *

><p>Sakura could think of a million better places than where she was at the moment, which was on a couch by herself while her two friends stood in front of her with smug looks on their faces.<p>

"For the last time Ino-pig, I don't like him like that!" she shouted for the umpteenth time that night.

Ever since they had dragged her back to Ino's apartment they had been relentlessly drilling her with questions. All of them as uncomfortable as the one before and the blush that dusted her cheeks were not helping her case at all. The truth was she didn't know what she was feeling and the fact that her friends were jumping to conclusions not only annoyed her, but scared her because she was afraid they might be right.

"Face it billboard brow, you've fallen for your teammate." Ino said with an evil smile.

"I have not!" Sakura snapped back.

Ino and Tenten looked at each other for a moment before shrugging and finding a seat. They had been going back and forth with the pink haired kunoichi for over an hour and the only progress they had made was making her blush and stutter occasionally. Sighing both of them sat down, Ino next to Sakura and Tenten across from them in an arm chair, draping her legs over one arm and leaning back against the other.

"You know Sakura, I don't see what the big deal is if you do like him." Tenten said bluntly as she absent mindedly pulled out a kuni and began to twirl it on her finger.

"Yeah," Ino added, "I actually just had to patch Naruto up at the hospital before I came here. He was beat up pretty bad and had a bad gash on his chest so he had to take off his shirt for me to get a better look at it. All I can say is… _wow_." She blushed slightly as she emphasized the last part causing Tenten to giggle.

Sakura, however, became curious. "Why was he like that?"

"What's that Sakura? Are you worried about your Naruto-kun?" Ino mocked cupping a hand to her ear to help her hear better.

"Better watch it Sakura, you almost sound concerned." Tenten added with a smirk.

Instead of blushing however Sakura became annoyed.

"I'm serious Ino, what happened to him!" she shouted into Ino's ear causing her to wince at the temporary dearness.

"Okay, okay, calm damn. Damn you're loud." Ino said wiggling a finger in her ear.

"Well I wouldn't have to be if you would just tell me!" Sakura said folding her arms.

Ino rolled her eyes but continued. "He didn't say exactly what happened. Sai just dragged him into the hospital and told me that he had a training accident."

Sakura was quiet for a moment but then nodded in acceptance.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door causing all three girls to look at each other in confusion.

"I wonder who that could be this late at night?" Tenten asked.

"No clue, but let's find out." Ino said as she went to the door and glanced in the peephole before turning to the other two girls and saying, "Oh, speaking of tall, white, and handsome." before she opened the door with a seductive smile. "Hey Sai, what are you doing here? Couldn't stop thinking about me?"

Sakura and Tenten leaned over from their seats to see Sai standing in the doorway, face contorted, as he tried to find the words he was looking for.

"Actually Ino to be perfectly honest, no. But I was hoping I could talk to Sakura." Sai said with a fake smile.

Tenten actually fell to the floor in tears and holding her sides as she laughed at the dejected look on Ino's face.

As she held the door open for Sai to come in he paused before saying, "Actually, I was hoping I could speak to her in private."

This caused Tenten to stop laughing immediately and look at Sakura questioningly as Ino glared daggers at her. Sakura herself wasn't sure what Sai wanted, so she got up and walked out into the hall closing the door behind her and successfully blocking out the deep conversation Ino and Tenten were now in.

"What's up Sai?" Sakura asked confused as to what he could possibly want at this time of night.

He was still smiling but once he was sure that they were alone he dropped it and looked at her very seriously. "Sakura, I came here against Naruto's will to talk to you about Sasuke."

Sakura's eyes widened and she gasped quietly to herself. "W-What about him?"

Sai continued to stare her down, almost as if he was angry with her. "I came here to ask you what you did to him?"

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

"You know what I mean Sakura, so don't play games. What did you do to Naruto? What did you make him promise you?"

Sakura remained quiet as her memories flashed back to that fateful day.

"I don't know what you said to him or what he said to you but you have to stop this madness. It's not healthy!" Sai said seriously with an undertone of concern.

"Not healthy? What are you talking about Sai?" Then it dawned on her. "Does this have to do with why Naruto had to go to the hospital tonight?"

Sai's face turned grim and he nodded. "Hai, it does. Tonight I watched as my friend was beaten and stabbed to within an inch of his life, and he did it all for a traitorous bastard." Sai's face was now hard as he glared at Sakura. "I don't know what happened between you two, but the burden you put on his shoulders is something nobody should ever have to carry. You need to fix it Sakura because if you don't it will end up killing Naruto, and to be honest I don't think I would be able to forgive you for it."

With that, Sai turned around and walked down the hallway leaving a speechless and stunned Sakura standing there. In fact, she remained there for so long that Ino eventually came out to see what was taking her so long. When she saw her friend standing there in shock, she couldn't help but become concerned for her.

"Ano, Sakura? Is everything okay?" she asked quietly as she put a hand on her shoulder.

The touch jolted Sakura back to life and she instantly began to shake as tears rolled down her face. Turning around she buried her face into Ino's chest. _"I'm such an idiot…what have I done to you? Naruto…I'm so sorry."_

* * *

><p>The morning sunlight trickled through Hinata's window and across her sheets until finally resting on her face, rousing her from her sleep. Slowly opening her lavender eyes she groggily sat up in bed and tried to rub the sleep from them. Smiling as a soft warm breeze blew through her window, she tried to remember how she had even ended up in her bed. Raising her arms up over her head, she stretched and winced in pain when she felt a slight pain in the center of her back. Suddenly, the night before came rushing back to her, weighing down on her unbearably as she remembered her challenge to her father.<p>

"_Oh no! What have I done?"_ She suddenly found it hard to breathe and had to lie back down as she tried to keep herself from hyperventilating and passing out. _"How could I possibly beat my father? What even made me want to do it?"_ Then she remembered what she had overheard at the BBQ restaurant and instantly she felt her emotions change from scared and nervous to upset, but, to her disbelief she wasn't angry. Sitting up again she put a hand to her head in shock. _"What's wrong with me? I should be angry at my father for what he did to poor Naruto-kun and yet I only feel upset that it happened."_ Hinata was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even hear the knock at her door or see it open until she saw a pair of big lavender colored orbs staring up at her from the side of her bed with tears wanting to be released.

"Hanabi?" Hinata said stunned as she was snapped out of her thoughts.

However, before she could say anything else her sister tackled her backwards in a brown blur and wrapped her arms around her neck while burying her face in Hinata's shoulder.

"Please don't fight father nee-chan!" She cried out in sobs.

"Hanabi, why are you so worried?" Hinata asked in surprise.

"Because father is so angry at what you said to him I think he might kill you! And even if he doesn't, he's going to send you away from me to marry someone else and then I'll be all alone!" she cried even harder as the realization hit her that she was about to lose her mother figure.

"And what makes you think that I'll lose?" Hinata asked gently, wrapping her arms around her sister and holding her head in a protective manner.

"Because," Hanabi said between sniffles, "you can't even beat me when we spar."

Hinata couldn't help but let a small smile escape her lips. She was about to speak when someone else spoke for her.

"Hanabi, you should have more faith in your sister." Said a stern voice.

Hanabi turned her head slightly away from Hinata's comforting shoulder to see Neji standing at the foot of the bed looking rather irritated.

"But-"

"-No buts." Neji said cutting her off. "Hinata is a kind and caring woman just like your mother was. Of course you beat her when you two sparred, how could she ever bring herself to hurt her baby sister?" Neji asked as his face softened.

Hanabi's eyes grew big and she looked up at her older sister to see her smiling sheepishly for finally being caught.

"I-Is that true nee-chan?" Hanabi asked in both shock and hopefulness.

Hinata simply nodded as she smiled lovingly down on her sister. Hanabi smiled back but tightened her grip on Hinata nonetheless.

"But what about you nii-san? Nee-chan has never beaten you or father." She practically whispered.

"Well if we're going to get technical, Hinata hasn't fought your father in years. Plus, I haven't beaten her in the last few months either. If anything I see Hinata as my equal." He had a small smile on his face as he watched the shocked expressions on both of his cousins' faces.

"D-Do you r-really mean that nii-san?" Hinata asked, choking on her emotions. She couldn't help but feel both happiness and pride build up inside her for what Neji had said.

"Of course I do Hinata. After watching you fight Pain, there's no doubt in my mind that you can defeat Hiashi-sama." Neji said with a determined smirk.

Instantly Hanabi felt better and jumped up bouncing on the bed. "That's right! Nee-chan is going to kick fathers butt and then she'll be able to marry Naruto-kun!" Hanabi declared happily still bouncing up and down.

Neji couldn't help but laugh a little as Hinata's face instantly turned the color of a strawberry and she began to stutter.

"D-Don't s-say that H-Hanabi! H-he d-d-doesn't like m-me l-like that." Hinata sputtered out as she bowed her head.

Hanabi stopped bouncing and looked at her sister while pointing. "You _will_ marry Naruto-kun one day, and then you will have little Naruto-kuns and nee-chans running around." She declared in a matter-o-fact tone.

Neji didn't think it was possible but he watched, to his amusement, as Hinata's face turned an even darker shade of red as her eyes grew even wider.

"H-Hanabi s-s-stop!" Hinata pleaded. Her thoughts began to swim as her mind began to drift away thinking about how they would go about creating little Narutos and Hinatas. Luckily, before she could pass out, Neji came to her rescue.

"Naruto-kun, Hanabi?" He said with a small evil smile. "I don't remember you ever saying that before."

Instantly Hanabi began to blush just like her sister and ducked her head down. "I-I don't k-know what y-you're talking a-about nii-san." She said as she scuffed her shoes around.

She winced when Hinata realized what was happening and glared at her little sister, but luckily for Hanabi she was saved before anyone else could say anything when there was a knock at the door and another branch member entered the room.

"Hinata-sama," he said with a short bow, "I just wanted to let you know that Hiashi-sama requested that you arrived a few minutes early so the elders understand what this duel is about."

Hinata nodded and thanked the member and he left the three alone again. Looking at the clock by Hinata's bed Neji noticed the time.

"Hinata, I would recommend you shower and get something to eat. You're match is in two hours." He advised.

Hinata nodded and quickly shooed the other two out of the room so she could get a quick shower. Afterwards, she hurried to the main dining hall where she had a small breakfast so she would have plenty of time to digest the food. As she was finishing Neji found her again.

"Hinata, if you would like to come with me, we can warm you up before your fight?"

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you nii-san, I would appreciate that very much."

Following him through the door, they went outside to a small combat training area secluded at the back of the complex. After warming up and some light sparing another branch member arrived and requested that they follow him to the courtyard where her father and the elders were waiting. Quickly wiping down, they followed the escort and were joined by Hanabi as they crossed a small garden. Upon reaching the end of the small garden it opened up to the main courtyard. Once there Hinata quickly realized that the entire clan, both the main and the branch were there to witness the fight. As soon as they began to cross the courtyard everyone began to mutter and whisper to each other. Hinata also noticed several Anbu members on the rooftops of the buildings around the courtyard watching silently.

"W-Why are the A-Anbu here?" she asked to no one in particular.

"The Anbu are here to monitor the fight and make sure that there is no unnecessary loss of life." The branch member said as he continued to lead them across the open space.

Hanabi visibly relaxed at hearing this but Neji had become upset.

"They have no business being here, this doesn't concern them." He said angrily.

"I couldn't agree with you more Neji-san." The branch member said nodding. "They swore that they were here to merely watch the fight and only interfere if it came down to life or death. Also, Hiashi-sama requested their presence."

This shocked the group and they looked at each other curiously.

"Why has father requested them?" asked Hinata.

"To make sure that no one else witnesses this fight, or should I say more particularly, someone doesn't watch the fight." answered the branch member.

"You mean Naruto-kun." Hanabi said quietly.

The branch member nodded his head. "Hai, Hiashi-sama was worried that Naruto-sama would here about this and try to intervene."

The group had fallen silent as they heard this and finished crossing the courtyard to where the elders and Hiashi were waiting. Bowing to the group and then to Hiashi and the elders the branch member left to go take a seat. Neji then walked up to Hinata and put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I look forward to witnessing your triumph." He said with a small smile.

Hinata smiled appreciatively back at him. "Thank you nii-san."

Then Hanabi came up on her other said and grabbed her hand. Squeezing it to get her attention Hanabi turned and cupped her hand over her mouth and leaned up to Hinata's ear.

"Remember nee-chan, this is for future Narutos." she whispered with a wink and causing Neji snorted.

"Hanabi!" Hinata said quietly as she started to blush. She knew that she only did it to take the edge off and she was grateful for what they both had done.

With a laugh Hanabi skipped over to Neji and took his hand as they walked over and took their respective seats. Once this was done Hiashi stood up and all talking ceased immediately. Clearing his throat he began to speak.

"As you all know, I have summoned you here this afternoon. I'm sure you all would like to know why I have done this. The reason for this summoning is because my eldest daughter has challenged me to a fight."

Immediately whispers erupted across the courtyard with everyone asking what would cause this to happen, including the elders who were leaning over and muttering to each other. Finally one of them spoke up.

"Hiashi, while it is nice to see young Hinata finally taking the initiative to act like a worthy clan member, couldn't you have had this match without the entire clan watching?" Several members murmured in agreement.

Hiashi smiled slightly. "Of course, Gourzi, but my reasons are justified. You see, my daughter and I have an ongoing bet."

"What?" another member shouted out. Gourzi nodded in agreement at this.

"I never have known you to take part in such disgraceful things such as betting. Perhaps you are slipping in your age?" he finished the last part with a smug smirk. It was clearly evident that in the past those two had never seen eye to eye.

Hiashi's face hardened. "I can assure you that I never do, but this opportunity was just too good to pass up."

Gourzi and the other elders perked up at hearing this. "What do you mean?" another elder asked somewhere from the side.

Now it was Hiashi's turn to smirk. "The deal is; if I win then my daughter must marry whoever I choose and accept it willingly."

Once again the courtyard erupted into talking that ranged from how cruel it was, mainly from the branch family who had taken a liking to Hinata's sweet and caring disposition, to the advantages that would be gain politically, mostly from the elders.

"And if you lose?" Gourzi asked.

"Then I will be reinstated as the heir to the clan and will be able to choose whoever I wish to marry, along with a few other more personal requests." Hinata's quiet yet confident voice answered.

Everyone looked at the young Hyuuga princess in shock as the entire courtyard fell deathly silent. This entire time Hinata had been quietly standing there, listening to the elders and her father speak. Everyone just assumed that she was afraid, but in reality she was waiting for the perfect moment to speak, building up her confidence and preparing herself.

"That was not part of the agreement daughter." Hiashi snapped.

"Well I just made it part of the agreement, _father_." Hinata snapped back but not nearly as intense. "After all, my gains are nothing compared to yours."

Hinata's outside was calm and collected but on the inside she was absolutely terrified. _"Hang in there Hinata, you can do this. Just stay calm and tell him what you think. Oh god what am I thinking!"_

"That was not what I agreed to. This clan needs a strong leader and so far you have failed to meet those requirements." Hiashi said firmly.

"Well after I defeat you then I will have fulfilled those requirements, wouldn't you agree father?" Hinata asked.

To say that the entire compound was stunned would be an understatement, even Neji, who was a master at reading people, couldn't find a flaw in her mask.

"You mind telling me why you are so confident in thinking that you'll win?" Hiashi asked with a smirk. However, it was quickly lost when Hinata did the unthinkable.

Relaxing and leaning on one leg, Hinata brought up her hand and brushed some hair behind her ear before tilting her head and looking away. "Tch, I don't _think_ I'll win father, I _know_ it."

Suddenly laughter rang out through the courtyard as Hanabi couldn't help but lose control from the look on her father's face and the attitude that Hinata was giving him. It was just simply unheard of and soon a few other branch members joined in. However they were all quickly silenced with a hard look from Hiashi.

Turning his attention back to Hinata he spoke. "Well regardless of whether or not you think you can beat me, being reinstated as the heir was not part of our deal so I will have to decline this fight. Besides, I can marry you off to whoever I choose as of right now so why should I waste my efforts?" He looked at her evenly but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as Hinata lost her nerve and quickly looked at him with wide eyes.

"_Damn it Hinata calm down! You have him where you want him; you know his weakness, hell the entire clan's weakness so use it!"_

Quickly regaining her cool she lazily waved his comment off. "Because," she said a-matter-o-factly, "if you do marry me off without my permission…" she turned to her father and leveled him hard with a gaze, "I'll kill him and tell anyone that asks why I did it that it was a mission given to me by my clan."

This quickly caused the elders to begin to shift uncomfortably in their seats. Hiashi gritted his teeth; he was astounded that for the second day in a row his daughter was showing this much disrespect to him let alone in front of the entire clan.

"You will do as you're told, do not threaten me." Hiashi said harshly.

Hinata rolled her eyes before sticking her hands in her pocket, a spitting image of a certain blonde headed shinobi. "Whatever." She said and then added as an afterthought, "Oh, and it's not a threat, it's a promise."

"Besides," she continued after a moment, "are you telling me that my father, the great Hiashi, head of the famous and noble Hyuuga clan, is afraid to fight his own daughter?" she mock laughed at him as she turned her attention to look up at one of the rooftops where four more Anbu had appeared. Another member quickly walked over to one and began speaking but was waved off by one that had just arrived and with a nod of his head he left them. Then one proceeded to sit down and watch intently. _"Strange."_ Hinata thought but quickly dismissed it and turned her attention back to her enraged father.

There was nothing Hiashi could do and he knew it. His daughter had cunningly waited for the perfect to strike at his one weakness: his pride. He was furious now at his daughter's exploitations and it took everything he could not to show it. Staring at her with daggers he spoke, his voice like venom causing many of the clan members to shudder.

"I am not afraid of an insignificant child such as yourself; I simply refuse to waste my time on something unimportant. Especially when you cannot even keep the deal you originally made. If you were wise, y0- LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M SPEAKING TO YOU!" He snapped in rage, his mask finally cracking and showing emotion.

Hinata slowly turned her attention back to her father and raised an eyebrow in surprise at his reaction. On the inside she was cowering in fear from the amount of rage that her father was crashing down on her. She wanted more than anything to run away crying and seek the safety of her room. But Neji's words kept playing in the back of her mind, and the thought of Naruto's determination kept her planted in her spot.

"Oh my." Hinata said softly causing everyone to listen intently. "Is something wrong father?" she asked with a smirk.

Hiashi was about to explode on her when there was a loud cough and Gourzi interrupted them.

"Hiashi, seeing as how we are already here why not go ahead and have the fight? Hinata-san has already said that she would quietly accept a marriage proposal if she lost, so hurry up and defeat her. We are already here, so we might as well have some entertainment." There were murmurs of agreement everywhere so with an angry huff Hiashi walked to the center of the courtyard.

"Come daughter, let's make this quick." He spat out.

For the first time since her arrival Hinata obeyed and walked with him. After stopping a few feet away from each other, they faced one another and bowed. Well, Hiashi did. Hinata simply shrugged her shoulders at him causing him to snap again.

"Bow and show some respect damn it!"

Hinata stared at him evenly before slipping into her stance and speaking. "I lost my respect for you a long time ago _father._" She then looked over at Neji. "Nii-san, if you would be so kind as to start the much, I would deeply appreciate it."

Nodding, Neji stood up and walked between them. Looking at each one of them he asked, "Are you ready?" Receiving a quick nod from Hinata and daggers from Hiashi he continued, "Then begin!" he shouted as he jumped away.

Wasting no time both of them activated their Byakugan and closed the distance in a split second.

**A/N: Okay so now that you're done reading, let me know what you think! I'm sure that I've managed to make a few mouths drop I hope!**


	9. Fighting and Forgiveness

**Author's Note: Boom! Look at this, another chapter even when I said that you wouldn't get one this week! Yeah I know I said only on Fridays but hey, cut me some slack it was finals week. I said 'screw you finals!' and went ahead and got this chapter done just because I love my readers. So Happy Birthday! Speaking of birthdays, I swear it felt like I was having mine with the amount of reviews I got. Thanks you guys, they were truly helpful and motivating! **

**Riamhh: I've already talked to you but I must say again that your review was extremely helpful and really got me thinking about the plot and what not. I'm also glad you covered different aspects of the story no matter what you thought, so once again thank you.**

**Tally3703: I'm glad you like the way I made Hinata and I have to admit it was really fun to write. The fight was somewhat of a challenge but it's coming along nicely I think. As for Sakura, well it serves a purpose trust me. **

**Sir NickolasJhonstonMarcus III: Well to be honest I about had a heart attack when I read your review. It's an honor to be reviewed by a random Beta so thank you and I'm so glad you enjoy my writing style. I hope you keep with this story and thanks a million, it was a great motivator.**

**As for everyone else, I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the chapter. It was a ton of fun to write and I figured you guys would enjoy it as well. But enough about last chapter, here's the next installment! As always, Read and Review Please!**

Chapter 9: Fighting and Forgiveness

"Yamato-sensei, how much further?"

Yamato sighed heavily; they had been running hard for the border all morning without exchanging a single word with each other. However, as soon as they had entered the Land of Iron Naruto began asking how much further they had to go. The worst part; the interval between the questions were getting shorter.

"_Guess I should be thankful. His patients has lasted a lot longer than it usually does."_ Yamato thought glancing at Naruto over his shoulder. Naruto was staring at him, but not seeing him. _"He seems distant though. In fact, he has been since we left the village."_

Sighing again he spoke, "It's the same as the last time you asked, Naruto. Not much further. Now I would appreciate it if you would stop asking me every two minutes."

Naruto nodded his head before his eyes revealed his mind going somewhere else. It wasn't his fault he asked again, he just kept zoning out for what seemed like hours when it was only for a few minutes. That and the conversations with Kyuubi were distracting him slightly.

"**Don't worry, you'll get used to it."** Kyuubi said with a grin. He was thoroughly enjoying the annoyance of the wood style user.

Naruto nodded his head in acknowledgement to the demon which caused the one eyed ninja next to him to finally break down and ask what was going on with him.

"Naruto, are you alright? Ever since we left the village you have been abnormally quiet. I must admit it's a nice change but coming from you it's just…unnatural." Kakashi said with a slight shiver.

Naruto was quiet and Kakashi was starting to think that he didn't hear him until Naruto finally answered him.

"Yeah I'm fine sensei. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."

In all actuality it was the truth. He finally found his way home to get some much needed sleep after talking with Jihibiki, but sleep never came to him. Instead, he found himself going through the same night terror over and over again every time he closed his eyes, and to make things even worse he had a new one. A shiver ran down Naruto's spine as he remembered the dream, it was just so horrible he couldn't shake the feelings he got from it.

* * *

><p>The world was ending, or, at least the village was. The best was to describe the village as Naruto walked down the street was it looked as if the day of reckoning was upon them. Bodies littered the roads; men, women, children, both ninja and civilians. The blood red sky mixed with the overcast of blackened clouds, growing darker and darker as the black smoke rolled off of buildings and bodies as they burned. The smell of burning flesh and putrid plastics filled his nose causing him to gag. Everywhere he looked there was only fire, destruction, and dead bodies. Not wasting any time Naruto took off running down random streets, trying to find someone, anyone, that could tell him what was happening. Just as he passed a crumbled building he heard a weak cough. Skidding to a stop he turned back to look closer at the pile of stone and wood and saw an arm sticking out, weakly grasping at anything.<p>

Without missing a beat Naruto was there, ripping away stones as large as his chest with one arm as he tried to free the person trapped underneath. Clawing away the last few pieces of rubble Naruto froze as his eyes grew in both shock and fear.

"Neji…" he whispered.

Neji's eyes flittered open, his opaque white eyes staring glassily at him, not really seeing him but knowing that he was there. Blood covered his face from large gashes on his cheeks and forehead and the blood running from his mouth suggested possible internal bleeding.

"Neji?" Naruto spoke again, his voice shaking as he looked down on his broken friend.

Neji coughed up a fine mist of bright red blood that stained his now dingy white robes. After a moment he managed to speak.

"Naruto," he rasped, "you have to stop it. You have to stop it before it destroys everything." Once again he was sent into another fit of coughs.

"Neji stay with me!" Naruto said now hurriedly as he looked around for help but a sudden hand clamping down on his wrist brought his attention back to the dying Hyuuga.

"You have…to stop it." Neji whispered.

"Stop what Neji? Tell me, what is it?"

Neji's eyes were now closed and his body was relaxing as he went to his eternal slumber. However, before he finally left the world he managed four words.

"Hyuuga…Complex…Hinata…Monster."

Releasing his grip from Naruto's wrist, Neji's hand fell to rubble that was now his grave, but before his hand hit Naruto was already two blocks away racing over, around, and even sometimes through the flames and debris as he tried to get to the Hyuuga complex as fast as possible. _"Please!"_ he begged whatever god was listening. _"Please let her be okay!"_ A block away he could make out the half crumbled wall that surrounded the mansions of the Hyuugas. Suddenly there was a blinding light as a giant blue swirling semi orb rose up from inside the wall and was followed by a deafening explosion. Pushing himself as hard as he could, Naruto jumped over the wall and landed in the courtyard to see someone hunched over and panting in a now burnt circle of grass that was the telltale sign of the Kaiten technique.

Running over, Naruto instantly recognized who it was.

"Hiashi!" Naruto yelled out as he was only a few meters away from where the clan head barely stood.

Flinching from the sudden voice, Hiashi spun around to see Naruto running towards him.

"Naruto?" was all he got out as a claw suddenly erupted from his chest in spray of blood and bone fragments.

Naruto stopped in his tracks and looked on in horror as he watched Hiashi stand there staring wide-eyed at the claw in his chest with a mixture of surprise and pain.

"**You're getting old Hiashi; you should never allow yourself to be distracted in combat."** A deep evil laugh followed that echoed throughout the courtyard.

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked breathlessly as he watched the claw in Hiashi's chest remove itself and he began to sink to his knees.

"Hinata…why…" was all Hiashi said as he hit the ground and Naruto stood frozen in the spot because of what he saw before him.

Hinata or what used to be Hinata stood before him soaked in blood with a wicked grin on her face. Her once soft, flowing, midnight hair was now wiry and sticking up in spikes. Her canines had elongated and now showed themselves by sticking out over her lips. Both of her hands and feet now resembled claws while her body hunched over in a weird way. Red chakra now covered her body and swinging wildly behind her was a single tail. But the most striking difference to him was her eyes; her once caring and loving pale lavender eyes that so often looked up to him were now a blood red color with a faint black slit down the center. They bore into him with blood lust and hatred and the killer intent that came from her was enough to make him shake.

"Hinata?" he whispered, unable to find any more strength in his voice. "Why are you doing this?" he asked.

She cocked her head at him for a moment before laughing. **"Because Naruto-**_**kun**_**, you made me this way. Are you not pleased with your creation?"**

"What do you mean I made you this way?" Naruto asked confused. "I sealed the-"

"**-You mean this seal?"** Hinata cut him off as she tore away the bottom half of her shirt to reveal her seal gone and in its place a black hole on her stomach opening up into an empty void.

"H-How?" was all he could ask as he felt his stomach drop and fear seize his throat.

"**How? I'll tell you how, Naruto-**_**kun**_**. I was vulnerable, I was alone, I became lost. I loved you and almost died saving you BUT THAT STILL ISN'T AN ENOUGH IS IT!" **Hinata's voice boomed with rage at the end.

"I…I do care about you though…" Naruto whispered as his eyes fell to the ground.

Suddenly Anbu appeared on the rooftops all around the courtyard with swords and kunai in hand.

"Naruto-sama, get back! We'll take it from here!" one of them yelled as they all tensed.

"No!" Naruto suddenly shouted back looking up at the rooftops. "I'll handle this!"

"**That's right Naruto-**_**kun**_**, be the hero. Wouldn't want anyone to get HURT!"** she mocked and as she said this a red claw of chakra shot out of her chest and swiped the rooftops killing or knocking the Anbu away.

"Hinata enough of this!" Naruto begged. "Please stop!"

Something changed in Hinata's face. Her eyes seemed to soften somewhat and the killer intent seemed almost vanish.

"**Why?"** she asked genuinely.

"Because." Naruto said returning his view to the ground in front of him. "Because I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Because I don't want anyone else to die. But most importantly," Naruto said as he looked up at her with tears in his eyes, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

The transformation was almost instant. In a loud angry scream that echoed throughout the village the chakra around Hinata sucked back into her seal and it swirled shut quickly leaving nothing but a fading spiral. Her hair became flowing again and her hands and feet returned to normal. The last thing that changed were her eyes, which in a heartbeat went from red to soft lavender and they filled with tears. Taking a hesitant step forward she started to cry.

"N-Naruto-kun…I'm so sorry." she whispered as she slowly tried to walk to him.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to say it was okay but his words were caught in his throat when four Anbu suddenly appeared at her sides, front, and back and rammed their katanas into her chest. Naruto watched speechless, as blood began to pour from her wounds and her mouth. Looking into Naruto's eyes she spoke.

"Naruto-kun…you've killed me."

Before anything else could be said the ground had cracked and he fell into the black void that was his subconscious. Then after a moment he found himself in the hospital reliving his other night terror. Needless to say he didn't get much sleep.

* * *

><p>"Naruto? Naruto. Hey, Naruto!"<p>

Naruto instantly snapped out of his thoughts about his dream and looked over at Kakashi. "I'm sorry, did you say something sensei?" he asked.

Kakashi sighed and shook his head. "Yes I did so pay attention. Yamato said we're close so we're going to drop down to the ground now."

Naruto nodded in understanding and followed them to the ground. They continued on in silence again, the only noise being made was the soft crunching of snow under their feet and the soft swish of their cloaks. The wind had died down to almost nothing which was uncommon to the Land of Iron, it was known for its bitterly cold climate and wind that could cut through any kind of protection. Now, however, they found themselves running and jumping through a surreal white wonderland. The small snowflakes practically suspended in air and only seemed to move as they rushed past them.

All of this was unseen by Naruto though as he tried to mentally prepare for the surprise meeting with the Raikage. _"Damn it! I got caught up in my thoughts and now I don't even know what I'm going to say."_ Naruto cursed under his breath for his lack of concentration.

"**Oh I'm sure the Raikage will understand. After all, you're only confronting him on the way to one of the most important meetings of the decade and asking the most outrageous thing from him. I'm sure he'll understand if you haven't prepared any dialogue."** Kyuubi stated as his voice oozed sarcasm.

Naruto's furrowed his eyebrows in irritation. _"Now really isn't the time Kyuubi."_

Before Kyuubi could reply though, Yamato had raised his hand signaling them to stop. Moving through the brush slowly, the three life ninja found themselves at the edge of a clearing.

"Are you sure this is it Yamato?" Kakashi whispered without looking at him.

"Hai, this is it." Yamato answered with a nod. "They'll be here any second now."

As if on cue, the three ninja from the night before appeared in the middle of the clearing. Nearly a second in a half later three more cloud ninja appeared with one towering over the other two. _"There he is."_ Naruto thought to himself as he tried to prepare for the unexpected meeting.

* * *

><p>"Are we almost there?" Karui whined to her teammates as they raced through the snow towards their rendezvous point.<p>

Samui sighed and Omoi's face scrunched up in thought before he spoke.

"Karui, you shouldn't complain so much. If you keep complaining then you might distract Samui and then we'll miss our rendezvous point. If we miss the rendezvous point then we might keep continuing until we're caught by the samurai of the Land of Iron and considered invaders. Then our village will have to declare war on the Land of Iron or else deny that they had any involvement with us and we'll be left to die slowly…in…prison…" Omoi trailed off as he noticed the daggers coming from Karui and actually managed to choke on his ever present sucker.

Samui sighed again but kept her eyes fixed straight ahead. "The rendezvous point is just up ahead so shut up and pay attention or else I'll make sure you both pull D ranked missions for the next two weeks."

Karui and Omoi both shared a glance before Omio spoke.

"Is something wrong Samui-san?"

However, before she could answer Karui answered for her. "She's probably just upset that she didn't get to spend more time with her pasty white prince charming."

"That's enough!" Samui snapped. "We're here so get it together."

She mentally sighed in relief when they shut up, allowing her faint blush that dusted her cheeks to go unnoticed.

Landing in a clearing they looked around expectantly.

"Well, where are they?" Karui huffed impatiently.

"Just give them a second." Samui snapped back and if on cue three more figures arrived.

"Raikage-sama, here is the scroll granting permission to hunt down missing nin Uchiha Sasuke as well as detailed information on him." Samui said with a quick bow before handing over a scroll to the towering tanned giant.

The Raikage nodded briefly before checking the contents and then handing it over to one of his body guards, Cee. He then turned and spoke to Samui. "I trust there were no complications while you were there?"

Suddenly Karui started to shift very uncomfortably as she found her katana quite interesting.

Samui sighed. "There was a small scuffle between Karui and a Leaf shinobi. It was taken care of however so do not worry Raikage-sama."

Everyone in the Raikage's group stared at Karui as she smiled sheepishly and then laughed nervously.

"Someone try to put the moves on you Karui?" Darui, the other escort of the Raikage, asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face.

"What! No!" Karui yelled defensively as she put her hands on her hips. "The punk just mentioned something about the Uchiha bastard so I thought I would try to get some information out of him. Like Samui-san said, it was nothing more than a little scuffle." She was quiet for moment as she brought a finger to her lip. "But now that I think about it, maybe I should have went easier on the guy." she added as an afterthought.

The Raikage was getting fed up with the banter and wanted to get a move on. He was about to tell them to shut up so they could continue on their way, but he was cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

"Man if you call that a small scuffle then I'd hate to see what a full-fledged fight in your village is." Naruto said as he, Yamato, and Kakashi appeared a few meters away from the group.

Everyone in the cloud group spun around and immediately went on the defensive. Everyone that is except for Samui, Karui, and Omoi who stood there with their jaws open staring at an apparently unscathed Naruto.

"Leaf dogs, what should we do?" Cee muttered under his breath as he glanced at the Raikage for a course of action.

The Raikage, however, seemed slightly impressed. "I'm surprised you were able to track Samui without her sensing you." He stated calmly however his voice suggested just as much contempt and disapproval as there was praise.

"Well it was thanks to Yamato-sensei here that we could." Naruto said as he jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the wood user. Then he turned his attention to the group that he already knew and gave them a toothy smile. "What? You didn't think I would stay down that long did you?"

"H-How?" Karui asked in astonishment.

"Karui, do you know these men?" Cee asked warily as he eyed the group of Leaf shinobi.

"H-Hai, the blonde one in the front is the one I fought with." She stuttered in response.

"My, you must be losing your touch Karui, it doesn't even look like you landed a blow on him." Darui jabbed playfully despite the tense circumstance they were in.

"Yeah well I'm a quick healer so don't let her fool ya, she's got some killer punches." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head and laughed. He then noticed Samui's eyes darting between him and the tree line. "I know what you're thinking Samui-san and the answer is no, Sai is not here."

Instantly Samui's face grew several shades of red and Cee raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Care to explain who Sai is?" he asked.

However, before anything else could be said the Raikage interrupted. "Is there a reason you are here? If so state your purpose. If not then we will be on our way, I have an important meeting that I need to be at." he snapped in irritation.

Naruto exchanged looks with the others in his group before Kakashi answered his question.

"Raikage-sama, my student here has come to make a request." he said in the most respectable tone he possibly could.

"Tracking us all the way out here and without any prior notice is quite rude." Cee said evenly as he stared at the Leaf ninjas.

"I understand that, but it is an urgent request." Kakashi said with sincerity but his patience was running out with Cee's open distaste for them.

"Well what is it boy, out with it! What do you want?" the Raikage boomed impatiently.

Naruto was quiet for a split second as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"**Okay kit, just like we planned." **Kyuubi coached from the back of Naruto's mind. **"Warm him up to you and then break it to him gently. If he's anything like his father then he has a fuse length that would rival mine. So let's do this nice and-"**

"-Sasuke. I want you to retract your order to hunt down and kill Uchiha Sasuke."

Dead silence.

"…**baka…"**

* * *

><p>Sakura was walking through a part of the village that was used as a lumber yard on her way back from the Hyuuga complex. She was pissed that she wasn't allowed to watch the fight between Hinata and her father due to the fact that it was 'Hyuuga family affairs'. She huffed angrily but stopped when she heard someone crying. Poking her head around a large pile of lumber she saw Ino balling her eyes out with an exasperated Tenten attempting to comfort her while the rest of the rookie nine, plus Sai and minus Naruto and Hinata, looked on.<p>

"Hey guys what's going on? What's wrong Ino?" Sakura asked as she walked up and everyone turned to face her.

"I just told everyone about the order to kill Sasuke." Kiba said. "But if I had known that Ino was going to act like this I would have left her out." he complained as he rolled his eyes.

He quickly had to duck though as several kunai came screeching at him from an annoyed looking Tenten.

"Oh I see." Sakura said sadly as she ignored Kiba who was glaring at Tenten. "And what do you all think?"

"It doesn't matter what we think." Shikamaru said from atop the wood pile. He sat up and looked at everyone before continuing. "We're ninja and we have to follow orders no matter what. Whether we like it or not Sasuke abandoned us and he now must face the consequences."

"Be that as it may, surely we can come to some agreement with the Hokage though about hunting Sasuke?" Lee asked hopefully.

"No, he's right Lee." Shino spoke from the shadows of lumber pile he was leaning up against. "Regardless of what we think or feel we must follow these orders. Why? Because Sasuke has become a larger liability to the Leaf now that he has attacked another village."

"And everyone feels the same way?" Sakura asked quietly.

Everyone nodded; even Ino did after she managed to suppress a sob.

"Sasuke is our friend, but he's left us no choice." Choji said sadly as he put down his bag of potato chips due to his sudden loss of appetite.

"My only question is who will tell Naruto and what will we do about him?" Lee asked. "I do not believe he will willingly accept this news." Lee stated knowingly as everyone else nodded in agreement. They all knew the spiky headed blonde would never accept this news quietly.

"He already knows." Kiba said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"And how did he react?" Tenten asked.

"He's on his way to ask the Raikage to forgive Sasuke as we speak." Sai said evenly if not slightly icy as he looked at Sakura.

Silence followed, washing over the shocked group of shinobi as the news sunk in. _"He actually went to ask the Raikage to forgive Sasuke? Naruto…I really do have no idea what I've done to you."_ Sakura thought as she fought back the tears that were threatening to form.

"YOSH! Naruto's efforts truly show the meaning of the FIRE OF YOUTH!" Lee shouted as he stood up in excitement. However, a quick pleading glance from Tenten that said 'not now' was shot his way and he immediately calmed down and gave a quick small smile of reassurance.

"So what now?" Choji asked. "I mean it's not like the Raikage is going to listen to Naruto. What do we do?"

"Let me handle it." Sakura said with a lowered head after receiving another icy look from Sai.

"Why you Sakura-chan, do you have a plan?" Lee asked in curiosity.

"Hai, but please just leave it to me and don't say anything to him." Sakura said as she looked at everyone and clenched her fists at her side.

After everyone nodded she spoke again. "Kiba, can you and Akamaru track down Naruto please? Sai, would you come as well?"

Kiba nodded his head and after a moment's thought Sai agreed too.

"Okay let's go, we're leaving immediately." Sakura ordered as the four prepared to head out.

"Wait, what about the rest of us?" Tenten asked with a hint of hurt in her voice. She would much rather go looking for Naruto than stay here and try to comfort an emotionally unstable Ino.

The answer to her question was a rumble that vibrated throughout the lumber yard and everyone turned to look at where it had come from; the Hyuuga complex.

"I think the rest of us should stay here, for Hinata's sake." Shino answered evenly as he raised his hand and began conversing with a beetle that had just landed on his finger. "She may need us now more than ever."

Shino was known for his lack of emotion but everyone noticed the hint of concern in his voice as the beetle relayed information him.

Everyone's thoughts drifted towards the Hyuuga heiress as they hoped for the best. Everyone that is, except for Sakura. _"Hinata…please forgive me for what I'm about to do."_ With that, Sakura motioned to Sai and Kiba and the group left to prepare for their trip.

* * *

><p>Sweat glistened on Hinata's brow as she slipped back into her stance and stared determinedly at her father across the courtyard. For the first five minutes of the fight the two had gone back and forth trading blows and testing each other. Neither of them had succeeded in landing a serious hit, but things were about to get serious and Hinata could tell. The air suddenly became thicker as chakra and tension began to leak through the atmosphere between the two as they refused to break each others gaze.<p>

"_Okay time to get serious."_ Hinata thought as she hardened her look. _"That was just a warm-up. Time for father to truly recognize me and make him apologize for what he did to Naruto-kun!"_

With her resolve steeled, Hinata pushed off the ground and charged her father. Quickly closing the gap between the two Hinata prepared to strike her father head on. Thrusting her right palm forward it was quickly blocked by Hiashi with a simple tap from his left hand at her wrist sending it off course as he countered with his own right palm thrust. Hinata saw this coming and followed her original attack, turning her body sideways and blocking her father's attack the same way he did to her. _"Right where I want you."_ Hinata thought as she smirked ever so slightly. Still following her original attacks momentum, she was nearly shoulder to shoulder perpendicular to her father when she brought up her knee with lightening speed and drove it into his solar plexus causing him to slide back several meters.

Hiashi gasped for air in surprise as well as in pain as he tried to process what had just happened. He saw the attack coming because of his eyes and was able to prepare for it. However, the speed as well as the randomness of her strike had left him flatfooted. The Gentle Fist style focused strictly on attacks that were precise and powerful, but Hinata was doing something else. She seemed to forget about precision and focus more on speed. _"No, there's more to it than that."_ Hiashi thought as he watched Hinata prepare for another attack. Not wanting to give her a chance to get the upper hand he charged forward. Hinata showed a brief moment of surprise at her father's persistence but it was quickly lost as she prepared herself.

Rushing forward Hiashi fired off a volley of thrusts all of which Hinata dodged before ducking under the last one and throwing a sweeping kick. Hiashi jumped up to avoid the kick but found himself helplessly suspended in air. Pushing off of the ground Hinata threw another open palm at her father's chest with her left hand. Blocking it again with his right hand, Hiashi instinctively threw his left hand up in time to catch a round house kick from Hinata's right leg. Thinking he had caught Hinata off balance as she seemed to rotate out of control he smiled slightly. However, it was quickly removed when suddenly her left foot connected with his head. Once again Hiashi's Byakugan alerted him to the incoming attack and he managed to tilt his head to the side as his daughter's foot scraped the top of his head from a spinning hook kick, hidden behind the first kick until it was about to connect. Seeing black and white flashes he pushed his daughter away before they landed on the ground. Shaking his head he tried to clear the dizzying ring that droned away in his ears but was force to dive and roll to the side as Hinata suddenly appeared above him and rushed down at him with an axe kick.

The ground split under the force from Hinata's attack and the shockwave produced caused many of the Anbu on the rooftops to try and steady them. However, before Hiashi could even completely stand up Hinata was already on him throwing palm thrust after palm thrust and causing him to go on the defensive.

The clan members watched in utter amazement as Hiashi did one thing that they never thought that they would ever see in their lifetimes. Hiashi began to give up ground. Several branch members gasped as Hiashi did his best to defend against the onslaught of Hinata's attacks. One of these people happened to be Hanabi.

"Why do you seem so surprised?" Neji asked without looking or showing emotion however his voice was filled with slight humor.

"I've never seen nee-chan fight like this before. It's so…" Hanabi's voice trailed off as she attempted to find the right words.

"Graceful." Neji finished for her.

Hanabi nodded in agreement. "Where did this style come from though? It's so different and yet so familiar." she asked.

Neji was quiet for a moment before he answered. "It's familiar because the style Hinata uses is derived from the Gentle Fist technique that we use. To be honest, Hinata created this style entirely on her own."

Hanabi's eyes widened and she looked at Neji in shock but he ignored it and continued. "While Hinata was decent at Gentle Fist, she and I both realized that she would never be able to reach her full potential by sticking to the old ways of the family's technique."

"What do you mean?" Hanabi asked.

Neji thought for a moment. "Hanabi let me ask you two questions first. When I ask it, answer it immediately without thinking. Are you ready?" he asked. Hanabi nodded and he continued. "When you think of your father, what are the first words that come to mind?"

"Strict, noble, strong, confident, powerful." Hanabi answered immediately.

Neji Nodded and then asked the next question. "And Hinata?"

"Quiet, shy, soft, and…" she trailed off as she suddenly realized a similarity between her sister and the fighting style.

"Graceful." Neji said again but this time he looked at a confused Hanabi. "The Gentle Fist that our family uses is precise, and powerful. However, the style Hinata uses is different in the fact that instead of using power and precision, she uses speed and grace. Just watch her technique." Neji ordered as they both turned their attention back to the fight to see Hiashi on the ropes. He was having trouble keeping up with Hinata as she seemingly danced around him like a ballet dancer.

"Notice how Hinata's movement is never wasted, not unlike our style where we redirect incoming attacks with the slightest move, but in the way she moves overall…"

As if to prove a point, Hiashi suddenly blocked Hinata's thrust and fired back his own. However, before his attack even reached her Hinata had already slipped under the attacking arm with a grace like speed by sliding her stance wider apart and leaning back.

"No momentum is wasted and it's constantly moving like water. When it meets an obstacle it simply flows around it…"

As the arm passed over her she quickly shifted her weight to the foot that was in front of her and now behind her father's back. As she did this she quickly twirled around so they were suddenly back to back before jabbing both of her elbows into his ribs knocking him forward a step.

"But with enough force even the strongest rock can be crushed."

Still moving, Hinata leaned forward and delivered a near spine shattering rear kick to Hiashi's back. Precisely in the spot where she knew her father's blind spot was and sent him flying across the courtyard.

The shocked faces and gasps filled the air as every Hyuuga except for Neji stared at Hinata in wonder and amazement. The world seemed to slow down as Hinata stood there panting and blushed slightly when she realized everyone was staring at her. Even the Anbu seemed to be taken aback at Hinata's surprising performance.

"Hiashi-sama!" someone suddenly shouted out and everyone turned to see Hiashi struggling to his feet and blood running down his face.

Looking up, his gaze pierced into Hinata's soul and she froze in fear at the sudden wave of killer intent that washed over the entire courtyard. Hinata could feel her legs begin to give out as her father's presence shook her to the core. _"What is this feeling?"_ Hinata asked herself desperately. _"W-Why is father doing this? Does he really hate me that much?"_

Hinata wasn't the only one reacting to the blood lust radiating from Hiashi. Several branch members began to shake uncontrollably and one elder even passed out from fear. Even the Anbu suddenly become anxious and started to shift weight in anticipation. Hanabi felt tears begin to run freely down her cheeks and she looked over at Neji to see him gritting his teeth.

"Nii-san…" Hanabi whispered as her voice failed her for a moment. "Is nee-chan going to be alright?"

Neji hesitated. "Hinata's style is practically flawless. She utilizes her grace and natural flexibility to move in ways no one really should be able to." He paused as he thought about what he was going to say and his face hardened. "However, because of Hinata's confidence issues she still second guesses herself sometimes which can lead to disastrous results." Hanabi nodded in understanding and Neji's face softened slightly. "But with family like us and friends like Naruto, Hinata can overcome that."

Hanabi smiled a little at this but her father's anger made her shiver. "Do you think she will be okay?"

"The only way Hinata can lose is if Hiashi-sama can match Hinata in speed and unpredictability." Neji said confidently. "And we all know that your father is quiet pre-"

The rest was cut off as Hiashi suddenly appeared in front of Hinata slamming his shoulder into her chest and sending her flying. However, before she got out of reach Hiashi grabbed her ankle and jerked her back towards him. Completely out of control of the situation, Hinata watched in horror as her father brought a chakra filled palm up and with blinding speed slammed it into her chest as she reached him. Hinata screamed out in pain as she felt several of her ribs crack from the sheer force of the blown and a sharp piercing pain blast through her chest followed by an intense fiery pain as it suddenly became harder to breathe.

Grabbing her by her sparring robes, Hiashi flung her across the courtyard and sent her tumbling through the dirt before she came to a stop.

"Nii-san…" Hanabi's voice shook as she stared at her sister's broken form. "I think nee-chan might be in trouble."

* * *

><p>"<em>I can't believe he just asked Raikage-sama that! He really is an idiot!"<em> Karui thought as her eyes shifted between a determined looking Naruto and a shocked Raikage.

The Raikage's jaw hung open as he stood there astounded at the absurdity of the request made by the blonde headed shinobi in front of him. However, it didn't last long as his face flashed from shock to instant and uncontrollable anger.

"What the FUCK did you just say?" he shouted.

There was a sudden bright flash and Naruto found himself raised off the ground and his neck in the grip of the towering giant's hand. Instantly all other ninja went on the defensive. Kakashi and Yamato didn't move out of fear that if they caused any sudden movements then the Raikage would crush Naruto's throat. The other cloud nin didn't move because of the lack of offense of the leaf nin.

"Please, repeat what you just said." The Raikage said as he raised his other fist and it began to crackle with lightning. "I want to make sure I heard you correctly."

"I asked you to forgive Sasuke." Naruto said staring the man in the eyes.

"You've got some balls you know that." The tanned giant growled and anger dripped from his words.

"And you've got some speed." Naruto said bluntly before adding, "And I see that your temper is just as short as they say it is."

The Raikage glared hard at Naruto before he spoke through clenched teeth. "Do you have a death wish kid?"

"Do you?" Naruto asked genuinely.

Suddenly the Raikage felt something prick his throat and he looked down to see a kunai's tip resting right at the base of his neck. He looked back up at Naruto who had an eyebrow raised and was still waiting for a response.

"Ha, you've also got some speed if you can keep up with me." He said as he cut the lightening to his hand and dropped Naruto roughly to his feet. Turning his back to him he walked back to his group before he spoke again. "Let's go, I don't have time to waste with this brat."

Now it was Naruto's turn to get angry. "Hey meat-head, I still haven't gotten an answer from you!"

"How dare you speak to Raikage-sama like that!" Karui yelled as she rounded on Naruto. "I should cut you down the middle for your insolence!"

Naruto simply ignored her as he stared heatedly at the Raikage. Angering her even more because of his lack of attention, she was about to shout at him again when she was cut off.

"Karui that's enough!" The Raikage's voice boomed.

Insantly she flinched and nodded submissively. The Raikage turned around and looked at Naruto evenly.

"I'll be honest brat, I really don't like you. But I have to admit it; you've got guts too. What's your name baka?"

"I'll give you my name when you give me an answer to my question." Naruto said pointedly as he folded his arms.

The Raikage simply grunted, turned around, and started to walk away. Naruto had finally had enough and he was about to charge when Kakashi spoke.

"Raikage-sama, please answer his question. I know he can be hard to deal with but this isn't important to just him. It's important to a lot of people including myself."

The Raikage stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What's it to you?" he asked.

Kakashi shuffled uncomfortably as painful memories resurfaced. "Sasuke was…he was my student. I feel like I let him down and I feel like I let Naruto down as well. Please, we traveled a long way just to ask you this question. At least answer it for us."

"No." The Raikage said instantly.

"What? Why the hell is it no?" Naruto shouted in anger.

"Because he kidnapped my fucking brother, that's why you idiotic shit stain!" The Raikage exploded in anger. "If you fucking leaf ninjas were responsible and took care of the situation when it first happened then we wouldn't have this fucking problem!"

"Well what about Sasuke? He's my brother! How do you think I'll feel if you go and kill him?" Naruto shouted back stunning everyone but Kakashi.

There was a moment of stunned silence before Cee spoke. "Uchiha Sasuke has no living family; they were all killed in the massacre."

"I may not be blood," Naruto said as he lowered his head, "but Sasuke is definitely my brother. If my information is correct, your brother isn't exactly blood either."

"How could you possibly know that?" Samui asked in shock.

"I have…friends who know things." Naruto said quietly as he tried to ignore Kyuubi perking up at hearing it. The truth was he had no idea that the Raikage and the jinchuriki were brothers until Kyuubi had mentioned it.

"You're point is irrelevant." The Raikage said as he looked ahead and began walking. "The fact is that your traitorous _brother_ is now working for the Akatsuki, he attacked my brother and then kidnapped him. I will find Uchiha Sasuke, and when I do I will be sure to kill him very, very, slowly."

"Please reconsider!" Naruto begged. He hated begging, but at this point he was desperate. "Would your brother want this?"

The Raikage stopped mid stride. "No." he said quietly.

For a brief moment, hope flickered in Naruto's eyes. The next second it was gone.

"But I'm not my brother. My decision is final." The Raikage said and with that they left.

Watching the cloud ninja walk away Naruto finally accepted that he would not be able to change the Raikage's mind. Slowly sinking to his knees he felt like a failure once again for not being able to protect someone important to him. Tears began to trickle down his face as he cried quietly to himself. _"Damn it! Why can't I protect those I care about! Why is it so damn hard to at least protect one precious person?"_ He was so caught up in his thoughts that he almost didn't feel a hand clamp onto his shoulder give him a reassuring squeeze. Wiping his eyes, Naruto looked up to see Kakashi smiling through his mask.

"Well I'll be honest Naruto; I thought that the meeting was going to go a lot worse. The fact that we survived shows just how well it went."

Naruto chuckled at this but it quickly faded when he thought of Sakura. _"She'll be so upset when she finds out that I couldn't change the Raikage's mind."_ Kakashi saw his smile fade and gave him another squeeze. Then he spoke as if reading Naruto's mind.

"Don't worry about how Sakura will react. She knows that you tried and that's what counts."

Naruto nodded before suddenly becoming incredibly tired. Thinking back, they had run extremely hard to catch up to the cloud ninja with very little breaks. As if sensing his exhaustion Yamato finally spoke up.

"Might I suggest we rent a room and relax before we head back?" he asked.

Kakashi nodded. "There should be a small village about two miles to the east of us. Let's try there."

With the group reaching a consensus they trudged off through the snow to relax in the nearest town. With his mission done, Naruto's mind drifted once again and wasn't surprised when he ended up thinking about a lavender eyed girl. _"Hinata…I hope you're doing okay. Give that asshole what he deserves!"_ There was no doubt in his mind that she could win, but he still was worried about her. His face contorted slightly when he realized his concern for her. _"I know that she can win if she truly tries but I still can't help but worry for her. Why?"_ Answering his own question he realized one thing; he didn't know why. When he tried to come up with an answer for one question he just ended up with ten more. _"I don't want her to get hurt. I don't want her to suffer. I want to protect Hinata with all I have because…because why? I care for her? Because I like her? Do I like her? She's strong, beautiful, and brave but I don't understand this feeling I get when I think about her. It's different from when I think about Sakura. What is it? ...Why is it different?...Fucking hell this is aggravating!"_

Giving up mentally he focused on getting to the hotel so he could rest and soon found that they were already standing in front of it. He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even realize that they had arrived at the village. Shrugging his shoulders he walked in and rented a room for three. Once inside he wasted no time rolling out a sleeping bag and passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow. Kakashi and Yamato were in the process of setting down their packs when they just stopped and stared at the blonde in shock.

"You know, some things about him will never change." Yamato said with a smirk.

Kakashi chuckled to himself before they continued and finished prepping their own beds. Deciding that Naruto could handle himself, even if he was sleeping, the two left to get a bite to eat downstairs.

"You don't think he'll be angry with us for eating without him do you?" Yamato asked as they walked down the stairs.

"No, if there's one thing that takes priority over food with Naruto its sleep." Kakashi answered. "Besides, it looked like he could use it. Something must be bothering him because it really does seem like ever since the invasion he hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep."

Yamato nodded in agreement. "Perhaps there's something on his mind?"

"With everything that's happened to him, how couldn't he have something on his mind?" Kakashi said bluntly. He then sighed. "I guess as his sensei I'll have to ask him about it soon. I'm not one for this kind of stuff but he does seem like he has a lot to get off his chest."

Yamato nodded again. "I wonder what could possibly be eating at him?" he asked.

Kakshi shrugged his shoulders. "At this point, it could be anything."

Hundreds of miles away a midnight haired kunoichi slowly stood up with blood dripping down the side of her mouth. All bets were off, her father had just officially declared war.

**A/N: Well there's chapter nine. Hinata is in the fight of her life and Naruto is miles away. Now let me know what you think! **


	10. Pandemonium

**Author Note: Hey guys got another chapter for you! I have a few announcements so please bare with me. Firstly, I got a job at a factory working third shift. On top of that I will most likely be working overtime on the weekends. This means that the chapters could take a little longer to get out since I will be working all night and sleeping most of the day. Do not worry, the story will continue! Next, because I'm on summer break and I now have a job you can expect the chapters to pop up whenever I have them done. It's not like school where I have a set schedule so just keep an eye out for them in the alerts. That being said thanks for the reviews guys. It makes my day reading them and hearing what you have to say. Well enough of that, on to the story!**

**Chapter 10: Pandemonium! Part 1**

Hinata slowly opened her eyes and watched as they went in and out of focus. Slowly and painfully lifting her head, she heard muffled shouts and turned to see her sister, still going in and out of focus, trying to tell her something. _"What is nee-chan trying to say?"_ she wondered to herself as she set her head back down. Taking another ragged breath, she tried to inhale as best she could but found it hard to do so. _"Well that's irritating; I wonder why I can't breathe well."_ She lifted her head again this time to see her father standing a few meters away from her with a smug yet sadistic look on his face. _"Oh that's right. I was fighting father." _Setting her head back down once more she tried to focus her vision but it refused to stay clear. _"Well, I guess I better get up."_

* * *

><p>Hanabi was yelling for Hinata to get up with tears in her eyes. After watching the last attack by her father Hanabi was scared that Hinata might actually be dead, but she was relieved when Hinata slowly pushed herself up until she was on her hands and knees. However, her relief didn't last long as she watched her sister scream in pain and cringe before she proceeded to cough up a large amount of blood. Fear gripped her and she looked over at Neji to see him gritting his teeth.<p>

"N-Nii-san…" Hanabi's voice whispered quietly through tears, "is nee-chan okay?"

Neji remained quiet but activated his Byakugan to quickly take a look at Hinata's vitals. He could see her chakra system was going on the fritz and was erratically fluctuating, a sure sign of severe internal damage. _"Damn you Hiashi!" _Neji internally yelled angrily. _"How far are you willing to take this?"_

"Nii-san?"

Hanabi's quiet voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned and looked at his little cousin that came to be more like a sister.

"Hanabi I won't lie to you, it appears that Hinata is suffering from extreme internal damage from that last attack." He paused as he let the news sink in. "I'm debating on whether or not to call the match right now."

Hanabi turned back to look at her sister and saw that she had now manage to get to her feet and was swaying dangerously.

"Please don't." she begged quietly taking Neji by surprise.

"Why don't you want me to call it?" Neji asked.

"Because," Hanabi said with a sad smile as she watched her sister suddenly hunch over and cringe in pain, "she's still standing." Then she cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled, "Come on nee-chan! You can win this I know you can!"

Neji looked at Hanabi for a moment before shifting his gaze back to Hinata. _"Hinata, you can do this…But you need to come up with something fast."_

* * *

><p>Hinata was struggling on her hands and knees as she tried to focus through her blurred vision. Her body felt strange, as if all sensation had been lost and the only feeling she had was that her body was just there. Then without warning her vision focused and her hearing returned all long with the sudden unforgiving and unrelenting pain that racked her chest causing her to scream out and hunch over. She then suddenly felt as if she had water trapped in her throat and she found herself in a violent coughing fit in which the water turned out to be blood. Although her vision was clear now, it began to darken and tunnel vision began to set in. She could hear the sound of her ragged breathing in her ears as well as the sound of her fast beating heart as it tried desperately to keep her alive and awake. Despite all of this, she still managed to pull herself up into an unsteady standing position.<p>

Standing there swaying from side to side she found herself wondering how in the world she was going to defeat her father in the condition she was in. Her ribs were broken; she could tell that much from the pain it caused her to breathe. Taking another ragged breath she confirmed that her right lung also appeared to have collapsed from her father's last attack. _"How in the world am I supposed to defeat my father in this condition?"_ Despair began to set in as the realization of her limited movement came to light.

"Ready to give up daughter?" Hiashi's smug voice rang out breaking Hinata out of her thoughts.

Suddenly memories of Naruto's beaten and broken body flashed before Hinata's eyes as she was reminded of how he never gave up no matter how badly he was injured. His determination filled her and his unbreakable will gave her strength. _"Naruto-kun doesn't give up so neither will I!" _Her resolve steeled again, she set a battered but hard gaze on her father and answered.

"Never in a million years. I'd rather die before give up to you."

Hiashi's face flashed annoyance before he slipped back into his stance and prepared to attack again.

"_Damn it Hiashi!"_ Neji thought angrily as he ground his jaw in frustration, but then his thoughts turned more desperate. _"Naruto, where are you?"_

A sudden dull pop broke the silence as everyone turned to Hinata and saw a look of surprise and shock on her face. A second later more pops where heard and Hinata's legs began to shake violently as she tried to stay standing. A few seconds after that there was the sound of air being sucked through something.

Hinata couldn't believe what had just happened. One second she was in severe pain and the next she could literally feel all of her ribs being mended and her lung re-inflate. _"How is this even possible?"_ she asked in confusion. However, she wasn't given time to dwell on the strange occurrence since Hiashi suddenly appeared in front of her throwing a blinding fast jab with his index and middle finger out. Hinata immediately countered it by ducking to the side and throwing her own chakra filled palm at the shoulder the offending arm and sent him tumbling back.

"You got the jump on me once father, it won't happen again." Hinata said full of determination. She couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride from knocking her father down twice and earning a small gasp from the audience in surprise.

Hiashi slowly stood up and touched the tenketsu in his shoulder activating it again. He rotated it once and winced as he confirmed that some of his muscle had torn from her chakra filled attack. However, his face became emotionless as he ignored it and slipped back into his stance. As he did this he spoke.

"Still so confident daughter, it seems that you've forgotten your place. I'll have to remind you where it is! Gentle Fist: Air Wall Palm!"

He thrust his palms at her three different times releasing a massive wall of moving visible chakra-filled air each time he did so. With nowhere else to go, Hinata took to the sky with a hard jump. Hiashi smirked as he waited until she had started her decent before he slipped into a different stance.

Seeing this Hanabi gasped and shouted, "Nee-chan, watch out!"

But it was too late.

"Eight Trigram: Sixty-four Palms." Hiashi whispers menacingly before rocketing off the ground and meeting Hinata in mid air.

Hinata's eyes widened as she realized that she was trapped. Being caught helplessly suspended in air she could not redirect herself to doge the oncoming attack. At the same time her father was moving so fast she didn't have time to perform the Kaiten. Out of options she did the only thing that came to her mind.

"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!" She shouted as she forced as much chakra as she could into her hands and then shot one forward to meet her father's oncoming fingers.

The transparent blue lions head connected with her father's fingers for a brief moment they found themselves at a standstill. Then next, there was a deafening explosion and Hiashi rocketed back the way he came, slamming into the ground. Hinata landed gracefully on the ground a few meters away from her father but had little time to rest. Jumping up quickly he raised his hand to reveal shattered and twisted fingers, broken beyond recognition. However, instead of anger Hiashi's face showed shock yet again and many of the elders began whispering to one another.

Hanabi looked at Neji in awe. "Nii-san, what is that technique Hinata is using and how is it even possible that it beat father's sixty-four palms?"

Neji smiled slightly. "That is Hinata's second most powerful attack that she has created. It's used by focusing large amounts of chakra into her palms and then released at a slow steady rate through the tenketsu points in her hands." His face then furrowed. "As for defeating Hiashi-sama's attack…I don't know how she did it."

Hanabi's eyes widened at her cousin's lack of knowledge over the subject, he was considered the smartest in the clan next to her father.

"It's true that Hinata unleashed a large amount of chakra with her last attack, but Hiashi-sama is the strongest in the clan. To think that Hinata is strong enough to negate his attack and the Jyuuken no less…" He trailed off as his mind began to wander. _"Hinata…how much stronger have you gotten?"_

* * *

><p>Naruto was walking through his mindscape at a leisurely stroll and tried to enjoy the song birds' music as they sang happily above him. However, the bright atmosphere couldn't bring his mood up as he continued on his ways through the woods with his shoulders sagged deeply. <em>"Damn it, what do I have to do to bring you back Sasuke?"<em> He sighed heavily and soon found himself next to the koi fish pond with Kyuubi lounging next to the water's edge.

"Hey Kyuubi, what's up?" he said as he sat down underneath a tree and leaned back against the trunk.

"**Oh not much just making a list of things to do today: go to the grocery, paint the walls, maybe read a book at the park…" **he trailed off after he had made his sarcasm evident.

Naruto just snorted at him and replied, "Just asking ass."

"**Well what the hell do you think I'm gonna do? I'm sealed inside you baka!"** he yelled back in frustration.

"I don't know," Naruto said as he shrugged his shoulders, "get an attitude adjustment?"

Kyuubi growled before giving an "hmph" and staring back at the pond. There were a few minutes of silence as they were lost in their own thoughts but finally Kyuubi broke the silence.

"**So…"** he began casually rousing Naruto from his thoughts. **"What are you going to do about the emo?"**

Naruto sighed knowing exactly who he was talking about. "That's a good question. I have no idea what to do. It seems like the harder I try to get Sasuke back the harder he tries to further himself from me and everyone else." He sighed again and hung his head. "I just don't understand. Why would he join the same organization that his brother was in? He despised Itachi, and now he's working with his brother's partners. It just doesn't make any sense."

"**Perhaps his mind was warped by the people that got to him first after his battle with Itachi?"** Kyuubi suggested and Naruto immediately felt the disappointment inside from failing to recover him a second time. **"Or maybe,"** Kyuubi continued bringing Naruto out of his thoughts, **"he learned something else that changes his views on everything?"**

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "What could he have possibly learned that would cause him to join such a dark organization like the Akatsuki?"

"**I don't know boy it was just a suggestion, figured I would throw my thoughts in on the matter."** Kyuubi answered with a shrug of his own.

Silence again. After about ten minutes Naruto finally managed to his next question out.

"Hey Kyuubi?"

Kyuubi continued to stare at the pond while he rested his head on his paws but his ears perked up to indicated he was listening. Naruto continued on with his question.

"I was wondering…why did you save Hinata from Pain?"

The question caught Kyuubi off guard and he tried not to show it. _**"Shit, I was hoping the brat wouldn't ask me that."**_After a moment he raised his head and looked at Naruto before speaking.

"**Let's get this understood right now; I saved her because I promised you I wouldn't let anymore of your precious people get hurt if you let me out. If I had it my way I would have left the weakling to die, but I made a promise and as king of the demons I always honor my promises…most of the time."** He said the last part with wicked smirk.

Kyuubi expected some kind of retaliation for at least calling the Hyuuga princess weak, but he was surprised when Naruto simply nodded his head in understanding and went back to his own thoughts. _**"Dodged a kunai there,"**_ he sighed inwardly in relief._**"Glad he didn't push it."**_

They both continued to sit in silence until Kyuubi noticed that it was starting to get dark. _**"Strange, that shouldn't happen here. Not unless Naruto or I change it."**_

Looking over at Naruto he yelled out, **"Oi, baka drop the emo attitude. You're making it dark here."**

Naruto looked up in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about; it's not me that's doing this."

Suddenly the temperature dropped to the point that they could see their breaths and a thick fog rolled in. All the birds stopped their songs and began fluttering around in panic chirping wildly. They heard a creaking sound and looked over to the pond to see that it was freezing over and the grass began to frost over. By the time the pond was done freezing over the sun was completely blocked out and it was twilight out. The only difference was that there were no stars or moon, just a black sky void of all light.

"Kyuubi what's going on?" Naruto asked warily as he thought that the fox may be up to something.

Kyuubi was just as confused as Naruto was until an old and yet familiar feeling washed over him. _**"This feeling, it's familiar, but where have I felt it before?"**_

"Kyuubi?"

Naruto's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he began to panic slightly.

"**Naruto this isn't me, it's something else; someone evil on the outside world his close to you. You need to wake up now!"** Kyuubi said quickly as he got up and rushed over to Naruto.

"But how do I do that?" Naruto asked worried now. "It usually takes me a few minutes to break out of my mindscape."

Kyuubi ran through several options before he came up with the quickest solution. **"Sorry kit but we're crunched for time."**

Before Naruto could ask what he was going to do Kyuubi pulled back his claws and with lightning fast speed slashed Naruto's throat. It happened so fast the only reaction Naruto got out was his eyes widening in terror and surprise.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat up gasping for air and holding his throat in his hands. Pulling a shaky hand away from his throat he expected to see blood but was relieved when he saw that it was clean. Letting a breath in relief, it didn't last long when he sensed someone behind him. In one fluid motion he was up and out of his bag and holding a kunai up in a defensive stance. Glancing around the room in front of him he saw nothing but a second later he saw a figure begin to morph through the wall in front of him. Coming into full form, Naruto's eyes narrowed as he realized who it was. The orange swirled mask was a dead giveaway.<p>

"My, my, aren't you a perceptive one. I figured I would be able to sneak up on you as you were sleeping but it seems that didn't work." the man said in a deeper voice than Naruto remembered.

"Tobi isn't it? You seem different from the last time we met. What are you doing here?" Naruto asked warily. He could feel Kyuubi pacing inside his cage and it was putting him on edge.

"Please, call me Madara." Inside his mind Naruto heard a deep growl of hatred radiate from his prisoner's cell. "As for why I'm here," Madara continued, "that is simple. After I declare war on the kages at the summit meeting I was going to capture you. But, my plans have been delayed slightly so I decided to come here first."

"You're going to declare war on all of the kages? You must be a real dumbass if you think you can win." Naruto said and smirked at the man's stupidity.

"I know I will succeed and by doing so I will succeed in what I wish to accomplish." Madara said in his baritone voice.

"And what is it you want to accomplish?" Naruto growled.

"I want the same thing Nagato wanted: peace. But I have to admit our ways of achieving that are slightly different."

Naruto's eyes narrowed again. "What do you mean 'different'?"

The Madara smiled behind his mask. "Nagato wanted to collect all nine biju to create an ultimate weapon that would act as a deterrent against war. I have a slightly different plan. To collect all nine biju and form them back into the legendary Juubi, the original ten tailed demon."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. _"Kyuubi, is what he saying true? Did you really come from a ten tailed demon?"_ There was a moment of silence before Kyuubi answered him. **"Yes its true kit, but that was a long time ago."** Naruto then shifted his attention back to Madara. "What do you intend to do with the Juubi once you have it?"

"I plan on becoming its container, and by doing so harness the power of the demon making me unstoppable." Madara said simply.

"So what does that accomplish? People will stand up to you regardless. How does that achieve peace?" Naruto asked shifting slightly in his stance.

"I intend to put the world under a genjutsu, thus creating peace."

Naruto became confused. "How will you manage that? How can you put everyone under a genjutsu?"

"Simple really," Madara said with a shrug, "I'll use the moon."

"The moon?" Now Naruto was truly lost.

"Yes the moon." Madara said evenly with a nod. "By using the Juubi's power, I'll be able to reflect my Sharingan off of the moon and use it to put everyone under a genjutsu. By doing this people will no longer hate one another and will live in peace for the rest of their lives."

"That's not peace, that's nothing but forced servitude!" Naruto shouted back. _"Forget this, I should just end him here and now and rid the world of this creep."_ he thought as he gritted his teeth.

Madara simply shrugged at his comment. "Call it what you will but it is the only way to truly achieve peace in this world. Now that I've said this, how about you come with me and help me accomplish my goal."

"Go to hell, I'm not going anywhere with you!" Naruto shouted back as he began to shake with anger.

"It wasn't an option." Madara said as he stretched out his arm and started to walk towards Naruto. "It's time for us to go."

Naruto responded by launching his kunai at the man and jumping backwards. Naruto watched as his kunai reached Madara and then sailed straight through him as if he was never there. A dull thud could be heard as the kunai imbedded itself in the wall a meter behind Madara.

Madara stopped and looked at Naruto in somewhat disappointment. "I expected more from you Naruto. You should have remembered that I am capable of turning any part of my body intangible."

Naruto smirked "Oh trust me, I didn't' forget." Naruto then proceeded to hold up a ram sign and send out a pulse of chakra.

Madara's one visible eye widened as he turned around just in time to see a paper tag wrapped around the handle of the kunai stuck in the wall explode.

* * *

><p>Hinata stood hunched over gasping for air as she stared down her father who was doing the same thing. They had been fighting intensely for well over two hours now; however, neither of them seemed close to their limit. The entire clan was mildly shocked at this since many of them knew Hinata did not have the best stamina. During the fight many of the clan members had resorted to activating their Byakugan to estimate how much longer both of them would be able to continue and were put off by how Hinata seemed to rival her father in chakra capacity. Both were looking worse for wear though. Hiashi had several torn muscles and slight internal bleeding in his abdominal region while Hinata had random tenketsu points all over her body shut off from her father's strikes. However, unlike her father, every time she received a blow that would cause internal damage it would quickly heal itself after a few minutes of fighting. It was something that perplexed Hinata but she was never able to give it any thought due to her father's hard pressed attacks. Regardless though, the random shut off tenketsu points were making it more difficult for Hinata to fight and every time she attempted to turn them on again her father would attack. After all was said and done this battle was going to come down to whom was quicker, more accurate, and had the most luck.<p>

Hinata took another deep breath and stood up and as she did she exhaled slowly with Hiashi doing the same thing. Quickly she touched two points on her left arm reactivating them, then turning her attention to her right arm she was about to touch another point but was forced to stop when father's palm thrust forced her to crouch down. Not missing a beat, Hinata did a sweeping kick causing her father to jump up to avoid it while at the same time she pressed three points on her right arm. Coming full circle after her kick she saw her father just landing and wasted no time.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Wall Palms!" she yelled as she thrust three walls of air at her father.

"Kaiten!" Hiashi yelled as he began to rotate and a bluish white orb appeared around him and cancelled out the oncoming attack with a deafening boom.

Hiashi came to a stop but was instantly put on guard when Hinata appeared behind him with the twin lion fists activated again. Going back and forth they danced around the courtyard as they attacked, blocked, and countered each other. Hiashi would hit a tenketsu point somewhere on Hinata and at the same time Hinata would blast an area of Hiashi body causing internal damage. Both of them were in extreme pain but neither of them refused to back down, pushing themselves harder and harder to be the last one standing.

There was a brief lull in the fight where they broke away from each other to reactivate a few tenketsu points. _"This is no good, we're evenly matched but he still has experience on me. I need to come up with something before I slip up and he finishes me off." _Bending down quickly she activated a few tenketsu points on her leg. Her eyes suddenly grew large as an idea hit her. _"It's a long shot but it could be what I need to win!" _Standing up she deactivated her lion palms which surprised some in the audience and charged her father who was still trying to activate some of his own chakra points. Seeing her charging he stopped immediately and dropped into a defensive stance. _"This is it, I've only got one shot at this!"_ Hinata told herself as she tried to concentrate through the pain.

Reaching her father she sent a blinding fast roundhouse kick to his head. Ducking under the kick, Hinata waited for her leg to pass directly over her father's head before releasing a large amount of chakra from all the tenketsu points in her leg. The blast of chakra slammed Hiashi into the ground hard enough to cause him to bounce back up into the air. Shifting her stance, she began her onslaught.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-four Palms."

Hinata's world slowed down, so much so that it appeared as if her father was suspended in air. With quick and precise movements she attacked every single one of Hiashi's chakra points, shutting his body down. To those watching it resembled nothing more than a blur, over in a matter of seconds.

Hiashi landed on his feet, but his shoulders were sagged and his head hung low with his hair in his face. He swayed for a moment and everyone waited on in anticipation for him to fall over but it never came. Seeing this, Hinata pulled her palm back one last time and prepared to strike her father down.

Hanabi was overjoyed at what she had just watched her sister do. She was practically bouncing up and down in place she was so full of excitement.

"I can't believe it, nee-chan won!" she whispered excitedly as she looked up at Neji.

Neji continued to wear his mask, ever stoic as his mind processed what had just happened. _"It happened so fast! Is it really over?"_ Silently he activated his Byakugan and he felt his stomach drop at what he saw.

"Hinata, watch out!"

Hinata drove her palm straight into Hiashi's chest except it never reached. Halfway to his chest Hiashi suddenly looked up with a dark grin on his face. With lightning speed he slapped her had away and began to turn. Hinata's eyes widened in confusion and fear as she realized what was about to happen but didn't understand how it was possible. The world seemed to slow down as Hinata watched her father turn. One second he was simply rotating, the next a massive blue orb erupted from his body engulfing her.

"Kaiten!"

* * *

><p>Naruto coughed as he tried to see through the smoke that now filled the room, or at least what was left of it. The entire one side of the room was now missing and open to the outside world as snow began to fall into the room and melt on the scorched wood that was still smoldering. <em>"Looks like that did him in."<em> he thought with a smirk. **"No, it didn't. Madara would never go down that easily. Keep your eyes open, he's around here somewhere."** Kyuubi said warily. Naruto nodded and pulled out another kunai before slipping into a defensive stance.

"Well that was close."

Naruto looked up to see Madara standing across from him on part of the roof that was still left intact. He gritted his teeth as a scowl graced his face.

"Consider yourself lucky." Naruto spat out.

"Oh I do. After all, I have the Kyuubi jinchuriki right where I want him." Madara said evenly as he stared at Naruto.

Madara prepared to jump and Naruto braced himself. Suddenly a giant wooden mesh wall grew out of the floor boards and separated Naruto from Madara, catching them both off guard.

"Phew, looks like we got here just in time, eh sempai?"

Naruto looked over towards the door to see Yamato holding a hand sign and Kakashi at his side with his Sharingan activated.

"Yeah it does." Kakashi said with a nod before looking over at Madara. "Oh Tobi, fancy meeting you here."

"It's Madara now actually." the masked man said evenly.

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly and Yamato's face darkened.

Madara continued. "So the famous copy cat ninja, Hatake Kakashi, master of a thousand jutsus is here with the living clone of my rival and enemy Senju Hashirama. Those are an interesting choice to be guarding the Kyuubi container indeed, but it makes no difference. The jinchuriki is coming with me."

The roof next to Madara suddenly shifted and changed color and a strange plant that looked like a venus fly trap emerged and opened reveal a white man that looked to only have one side of his body.

"It seems Sasuke is having a little trouble with the kages. You might want to intervene before he becomes just another useless dead body." the strange white man said.

"Alright then, Zetsu go back and monitor the fight I will be there shortly to talk to the kages." Madara said.

Zetsu nodded and sunk back into the roof disappearing.

"What have you done to Sasuke?" Naruto shouted seething with anger now at hearing Sasuke's name being exchanged between the two.

Madara looked at Naruto with brief confusion before shrugging and saying. "Nothing, I simply told him the truth about his brother."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked warily.

"I told Sasuke about possibly the biggest cover up in all of Konoha's history. I told him about Itachi's involvement in the purge of the Uchiha clan to prevent a coup d'état. Itachi was elected to purge the clan himself and become a rouge ninja. When I told Sasuke this he became enraged. So, just like Nagato, I am using Sasuke how I see fit."

All three leaf ninja stood there in stunned silence. They wanted to retort telling Madara that he was lying and yet there was something about the way he told it that said he was telling the truth.

"There's no way you used Nagato, he was too strong to be used by someone else." Naruto said with a whisper.

Madara shook his head slowly. "No, anyone can be used if they have enough hate and rage to cloud their judgment. Sasuke is the same way, after training so hard to kill the man he's always hated he learned that his brother and last living family member was innocent and died at his hands. He holds nothing but hatred for the village he once called home, blaming it for the reason the Uchihas were killed."

Zetsu once again appeared next to Madara and spoke. "Sasuke is in need of your assistance, if you don't come now he will die."

Madara nodded. "Have you found Danzo yet?"

Zetsu nodded his head.

"Then we are leaving." Madara said as he turned and looked at the group. "Time for us to go Naruto."

"I already told you I'm not going anywhere with you, prick!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"You don't have a say in the matter." Madara said as he leapt from the building straight at the wooden barrier.

When he reached the barrier he slipped through it as if nothing was there and continued on towards Naruto. Kakashi was the first to intervene, coming at Madara with his Raikiri in hand and swung at Madara's neck. Once again the lightning blade passed through the Uchiha and once it had done so he sent a solid knee into Kakashi's chest sending him flying back and gasping for air. Yamato was next, sending a flurry of kicks and punches as the masked man forcing him to back up slightly. Aiming a side kick at his chest, Yamato watched as it passed through him and Madara then sank into the floor disappearing. The next second he was blasted in the back of the head with a flying kick when Madara appeared from the ceiling.

Turning slowly, Madara focused on Naruto who was gritting his teeth and standing in a defensive position.

"Looks like it's just you and me." He said with a hint of humor as his eye smiled evilly through his mask.

In three steps Madara had closed the distance and was on Naruto. Not wanting to go down without a fight, Naruto swiped at Madara and watched it pass through him. Knowing that he would turn solid again, Naruto sent a roundhouse to his ribs forcing him to stay intangible. Madara continued with his momentum and passed straight through Naruto. As soon as they were back to back Madara stopped his jutsu and turned around catching Naurto's hand that held the kunai.

"I win." was all Madara said as he smiled wickedly.

A ripple appeared in the air and began to spin around, sucking everything into the center of the hole that was where Madara's one visible eye was. Naruto could feel himself being sucked into the void and struggled as best he could but it was no use. Naruto closed his eyes and cursed. _"Damn it! I thought I would put up a better fight than this!"_

Naruto felt himself almost seemingly stretch for a split second before he felt completely normal again.

Kakashi's eyes widened in horror as he watched Naruto disappear in front of Madara.

"What have you done to Naruto?" he demanded as he stood up painfully but quickly.

Madara stood there for a moment, his hand still out as if grasping Naruto. He then lowered his hand and turned to Kakashi.

"Funny, I was about to ask you the same question."

Kakashi couldn't help but show the confusion on his face as he glanced around the room for any sign of Naruto. Madara watched him do this and sighed inwardly. _"Another time then I suppose."_ Activating his jutsu he began to suck himself into the spiraling void.

"Consider yourselves lucky, next time he won't get away." Madara said as he slipped into the floor and completely disappeared.

After confirming that he was gone, Kakashi rushed over and helped up Yamato who stood up with a groan.

"Forgive me sempai; he got the jump on me." Yamato said defeated.

"It's okay." Kakashi reassured him. "He got the jump on both of us." Looking around the room he couldn't help but ask. "Yamato, where is Naruto."

Yamato focused for a moment before his face changed to shock. "H-He's back in Konoha."

Kakashi sighed and pulled his headband back over his Sharingan. "Well I guess we better get back then."

A sudden clearing of the throat caused the two men to turn around and see a very pissed off old lady standing in the doorway.

"You're not going anywhere until you fix this." she said angrily.

Kakashi sighed again and looked Yamato who glumly made the wood release hand sign and began to rebuild the room.

* * *

><p>"Oi, boy what are you doing?"<p>

Confused out of his mind, Naruto's eyes snap open to see an ANBU standing in front of him. Looking around he sees that he is no longer in the hotel or in the Land of Iron for that matter.

He turned his attention back to the ANBU and smiles sheepishly. "Ano…where am I?"

The ANBU stared at Naruto for a moment. "Are you seriously that dense?" Naruto was about to yell at the man when the black ops ninja reached up and took off his mask revealing it to be Jihibiki. "It's me baka!"

Naruto stared dumbfounded for a second. "What a minute, if I'm here then that means you summoned me right?"

Jihibiki nodded exasperatedly, "Yes boy, I reverse summoned you with the bit of your blood you gave me last night!"

Naruto let out s big sigh of relief. _"God are we lucky, we dodged a huge kunai this time."_ Kyuubi nodded in agreement. **"You can say that again kit."** Naruto nodded too. _"We're lucky the old man summoned us when he did or else we'd be-"_

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he looked up at Jihibiki. "If you summoned me then that means!"

"Yes boy, it's happened." He said as he pulled out an ANBU cloak and mask. He tossed it to Naruto saying, "Hurry up and put this on. We're out of time."

* * *

><p>Neji and Hanabi watched on in horror as Hinata rocketed back across the courtyard and landed in a heap after taking the full force of her father's Kaiten.<p>

"Neji what happened? I thought nee-chan shut down all of father's chakra points!" Hanabi asked confused and horrified at what she just witnessed.

"I don't know what has happened Hanabi." Neji said honestly as he stared on in awe at Hiashi.

Hiashi slowly started walking towards Hinata who was slowly moving around now. Ever nerve ending was screaming at her and body felt as if it had a massive boulder on top of her. _"What happened? I don't understand, his tenketsu points should have been shut off and yet he still managed to perform the Kaiten."_ Struggling up to a kneeling position she looked up at her father who was now standing before her with a smile on his face.

"H-How?" was all Hinata could manage through her now sore throat.

"How? That is simple daughter." Hiashi said as he folded his arms in front of his chest. "I expelled chakra from my tenketsu points each time you were about to strike them. By doing this I managed to negate the effects of your attack and keep my chakra points open."

"B-But I w-watched them c-close." Hinata stuttered out in confusion.

"Well I may have managed to negate the effects of your attack, but that didn't keep them from being shut down temporarily." Hiashi lectured. "But it was short enough to fool you into thinking that you had succeeded in defeating me." He finished the last part with an arrogant smile.

Hinata looked down at the ground in defeat. She couldn't move her body, it would barely respond to the simplest of commands. Her body ached in constant pain; there was no way she was able to continue to fight. _"I was so close…"_ Hinata thought as she felt tears form in her eyes. _"Naruto…I'm so sorry I failed you, and now I'll never be able to see you again."_ Tears were now freely falling from her face and a soft sob escaped her lips. Hiashi's face seemed to frown and furrow for a second before he realized that she was crying and had accepted defeat.

"Honestly, did you ever think that you could beat me? I am the clan head for a reason and a true master in our taijutsu. Not even that pathetic excuse of a fighting style you created was enough to defeat me so why did you even remotely think you had a chance." Hiashi said.

His words cut Hinata deep and she felt her confidence being stripped away from her. "I b-believed that I c-could. I th-thought I h-had changed, that I h-h-had become s-stronger." Hinata whispered to herself that as the tears continued to stream down her face like small rivers and her hands dug down into the dirt. She could feel the frustration building inside of her from her inability to defeat her father.

Hiashi laughed mockingly at her. "You will never change. You will always remain the weak, pathetic, burden that everyone sees you as."

Hinata flinched as she heard the words that her father used on her so many times before. She dug her fingers deeper into the ground as the words echoed in her mind. _"He always calls me that, and he's always right. I never improve and I am weak. He has what he wants, I've lost and yet he continues to cut me down. Damn it what does he want from me!" _Deep in her soul she felt a fire ignite that seemed to burn hot and angry. She felt her frustration begin to boil up inside of her and her breathing became fast and shallow. She didn't understand why he continued to torment her when he had won the match and it was beginning to make her angry.

"When will you learn?" Hiashi continued paying no attention to Hinata. "You are nothing like that demon spawn."

Hinata's eyes narrowed when she heard him call her Naruto-kun that name.

"No matter how hard you try you will never gain his attention and even if you did I would never allow you to be with that piece of trash."

The fire in her seemed to grow larger and hotter as her father continued to insult him in front of her.

"He is a weapon, a tool for this village and nothing more. The sooner you realize that you and the freak will never be together the sooner you can start acting like a member of this clan."

The last comment caused Hinata to snap. From the deep recesses of her heart she felt her anger flow up out of her and consume her. Her breathing was very rapid and she could hear her heart beating in her ears. With each beat it became louder and louder until it was a deafening roar.

"Shut up." Hinata whispered her voice caked with hatred.

Hiashi frowned and looked down at his daughter.

"You can insult me all you want, but when you insult Naruto-kun in front of me that's taking it too far." she continued and her body shook with rage. "I'll make you pay for saying those things about Naruto-kun. I'll make you regret ever doing what you did to him." A sudden and heavy cloud of killer intent that rivaled her father's earlier suddenly washed over the entire courtyard.

Hinata spoke again but this time her voice sounded deeper. "I'll te**ar** y**ou** l**imb** fr**om** **limb** you **stu**ck up **arro**gant **BASTARD**!"

Looking up, Hinata stared her father with red, burning, raging, hatred-filled eyes. Suddenly red chakra began to pour from Hinata's stomach and slowly consume her red body. When that was finished a single chakra tail grew from her tailbone and began to flick wildly behind her. Her straight midnight blue hair suddenly became spiky and her nails began to form into claws. Her canines grew longer and revealed themselves as Hinata began to smile wickedly as she moved into a crouching position, never once taking her eyes off of her father. Then her smile grew bigger and more sinister and she exploded from where she was so fast Hiashi barely had any time to bring his arms up to block. Throwing a claw hand forward Hinata aimed for her father's heart, hell-bent on ripping it out of him. Suddenly there was quick flash and Hinata felt something grab her hand and throw her to the side with lightning speed causing her to crash into the wall that lined one side of the courtyard creating a huge crater in it along with a large cloud of dust.

Hiashi watched in amazement as one of the ANBU appeared in front of him and diverted Hinata's attack away from him with ease. Walking towards the wall where Hinata was just thrown he stopped after a few feet and slipped into a defensive stance. Without taking their eyes off of the spot where Hinata was just tossed like a rag doll the shinobi spoke.

"Hiashi-sama…run."

From the cloud of dust a deep and feral growl could be heard that chilled everyone to the bones.

**Awe yea, it's about to go down! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please don't kill me for ending on another cliffhanger. Till next time!**


	11. Betrayal

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! I know, I know, it's been forever since I last updated and I'm sorry; nothing but work and over time on the weekends. I have barely had any time to write at all, but managed to get a page here and there when I could. To be honest I probably wouldn't have updated for another week but a certain someone, cough *Uzumaki Ricky* cough, got on my ass about it so here you are! And to make up for the long absence I have another chapter for you after this one! Happy Birthday! Now onto a slightly more serious note.**

**There seems to be some slight confusion with Hinata and the demon chakra. The demon chakra in her feeds off of negative emotions and can influence negative emotions. Because of this, Hinata can become quick tempered. She has lost control of her emotions because she is not used to feelings such as hatred and rage, and because of this the demonic chakra is able to take control of her and revert her back to a more animalistic state. So just like Naruto, but with less control over her emotions because she is not used to them. Also, there have been a lot of comments about Hiashi's inconsistent personality. I have a reason and a plan for this and you will find out very soon why. Well now that that's out of the way, here's the next chapter! As always, please read and review!**

**Chapter 11: Betrayal**

Hiashi stood hunched over holding his side and breathing heavily. He stared at the ANBU that just saved his life in shock, surprised at the speed that the ninja had just shown. Seeing that he still had not moved the ANBU spoke again.

"Hiashi please leave this area and see to it that the rest of your clan makes it safely out. Let the ANBU deal with this, you are a clan head and a member of the council, your safety is extremely importance."

Hiashi was about to tell the ANBU that had just saved his life that he was capable of still fighting but a deep feral growl emanating from the dust cloud where his daughter was just thrown stopped him. Looking over at where Hinata once was, he saw that she was no longer in front of him. Instead, he watched as her skin seemed to peel away to reveal a blood red layer underneath. Confused at what he saw, Hiashi activated his Byakugan to see that it was a thick condensed layer of demonic chakra that now enveloped her.

Horrified, Hiashi could barely find his voice. "Wh-What's happening to her?" he asked, his voice betraying him and revealing his true concern.

The ANBU cocked his head to the side slightly confused at hearing this but answered anyways. "It's chakra armor. Her anger has been pushed to the point to where she is now in a blind rage causing the demonic chakra to condense around her."

Hiashi watched in horror as the transformation reached its end and the new form of his daughter looked around for a target while letting out a low growl.

"Hiashi!" the ANBU said loudly snapping him out of his trance. Once he saw he had the Hyuuga's attention he continued. "You need to leave; it's no longer safe for you to be here."

Hiashi nodded and slowly started to turn to leave but stopped and looked back at the fox masked ANBU.

"Please…" he asked lowly causing the ANBU to glance at him in confusion. "…Please, save my daughter."

The fear and worry was evident in Hiashi's voice and caused the ANBU to hesitate in confusion before answering with a slight nod.

"I promise." The ANBU said definitively.

Hiashi sighed in relief and closed his eyes. Then, with the conversation over Hiashi looked at some of the Branch members that were waiting by to escort him away and with a nod they all took off to see to the evacuation of the rest of the compound. However, before they moved the ANBU spoke.

"I need Neji Hyuuga to stay and help with things here."

Looking quickly over at Hiashi who nodded, Neji ran over to Naruto's side. Then Hiashi and the others left, but as they started to run away Hinata saw her father and, with a roar, took off towards him. Acting quickly, the fox ANBU appeared in front of Hinata intercepting her with a kick to the ribs and sending her flying back into the wall again.

"I don't want you to actually fight." The fox said quickly catching Neji by surprise.

"What? Why not?" Neji asked almost offended.

"See that?" he asked as he pointed at Hinata as she started to climb from the rubble of the wall. "That's a dense layer of demonic chakra covering her body. Your Jyuuken will have no effect on her, and there's also a chance you will burn yourself as well."

Neji nodded in understanding. "Then what do you want me here for?" he asked confused.

"I need your eyes." The ANBU said seriously. "I need you to tell me when Hinata's normal chakra is more than the demonic chakra."

Neji nodded and activated his Byakugan. His expression turned grim. "The demonic chakra looks to be at about eighty percent whereas her normal chakra is only at forty." He hesitated for a moment before looking over. "Do you have a plan Naruto?"

Naruto looked over at Neji and nodded. "I do have one…" he gritted his teeth as he cursed. _"But damn she's got a ways to go before that ratio flips." _Looking up at the rooftops around him he saw all the other ANBU preparing to fight, looking over at a member with a weasel mask he asked, "Who's in charge here?"

Immediately another ANBU appeared by weasel who was wearing a cat mask. "I am in charge of the squad that is assigned here." The man said with a deep voice.

"Good," Naruto said as he took off his mask and lowered the hood revealing his identity, "I want you and your men to set up a perimeter around this area to keep Hinata from making her way into the village. I'm going to try and push her outside the walls so be ready to move."

The cat ANBU shook his head and spoke. "I'm sorry Naruto-sama but we have orders stating that you are not to be involved with any Hyuuga affairs whatsoever. We are going to have to ask you to leave the premises, and we will escort you safely from the area."

A sudden roar followed by a scream caused all three men to turn and see Hinata swiping an ANBU away and send him crashing through the wall of one of the houses.

"Look, either you can handle this and lose valuable men," Naruto said seriously, "or you can let me handle it; someone who knows how to deal with this sort of thing and can go toe to toe with her without anyone getting hurt."

The captain hesitated for a moment. "But we have orders from the Hyuuga's to-"

"-Screw the Hyuuga's and their pride!" Naruto shouted angrily before he looked over at Neji and said, "No offense or anything."

"None taken." Neji said flatly.

"Let's just focus on saving and protecting lives, I'll deal with the consequences myself." Naruto said as he looked back at the ANBU captain.

The ANBU captain was quiet for a moment before he nodded and then looked at the rest of his men. "You heard him, for a perimeter around the complex. No one is to enter, now move out!"

The ANBU surrounding Naruto and Neji disappeared in an instant but a moment later two more ANBU appeared at Neji and Naruto's side.

"We just received orders from one of the clan elders before we arrived here that we are to kill the girl regardless of whether or not she can be saved." One of the ANBU said with a scratchy voice.

Neji's face flashed through horror to anger at what he had just heard and he clenched his fists, but before he could say anything Naruto spoke first.

"Understood." He said with a slight nod and a serious look.

Neji's eyes widened and he looked over at him in confused shock. "You aren't actually going to follow those orders are you?"

Naruto was quiet for a moment before he looked over at Neji. "Just because I said I understood the order doesn't mean I'm going to listen." He flashed his trademark grin.

A growl and crash brought them out of their conversation and they saw Hinata pulling herself out of the wall again and throwing the debri around. The two ANBU quickly removed their masks and cloaks to reveal an old couple that Neji had never seen before. Naruto apparently knew them since he showed no surprise and instead he looked back at Neji.

"Neji, we'll take it from here. Just let us know what's going on." He ordered.

Neji nodded and jumped back giving them space.

"What are we lookin' at Naruto-kun?" Renge asked, but before Naruto could respond Hinata shot forward again.

"Earth Style: Death Valley!" Jihibiki yelled as he pulled his hands apart.

A giant crevice suddenly appeared underneath Hinata's feet and she went from running to falling in an instant. There was a brief moment of silence before Hinata roared and a chakra hand appeared on the edge of the cliff, stopping her fall and pulling her back towards the top.

"Oh no you don't." Jihibiki said as he closed his hands together again causing the two sides of the valley to rush back together trapping Hinata in the earth.

"What the hell?" Naruto shouted looking at the old man. "Are you trying to kill her?"

Jihibiki sighed. "Do you honestly think that's going to stop her?"

As if on cue the ground exploded upwards and out shot Hinata growling angrily and looking around for the cause of the jutsu.

"We need to get her out of the village." Renge said and the other two nodded.

"I'm on it." Naruto said and looking up at the roof he saw two ANBU ninja's still there. After a moment one of them disappeared and Naruto felt a rush of natural chakra overcome his body as his pupil turned to horizontal slits and orange rings appeared around his eyes. "Okay, let's do this!"

Hinata roared once more and shot forward hell bent on ripping them all apart. The three shinobi looked at each other and nodded. Renge jumped high in the air rising up over the rooftops of the entire complex. Once again Jihibiki took the lead.

"Earth Style: Crashing Boulder!"

He slammed his foot down on the ground and a giant boulder erupted from it. Throwing his palm towards the rock he shot it forward with lightening speed. Hinata didn't even miss a beat and threw both of her clawed hands up to catch the projectile. The impact caused her to stop in her tracks and she growled in anger as she slid back a little.

"Not done yet." Jihibiki said with a smile as he flashed through a few more hand signs. "Earth Style: Rock missiles!"

Three sharp rock spikes rose from the ground over Jihibiki and with a wave of his hand they shot forward. Cutting straight through the boulder, the missiles slammed straight into Hinata knocking her backwards and causing her to go crashing to the ground. About the same time Renge appeared over Hinata and as she landed on top of her she brought her palm down slamming it into her chest.

"Sealing Jutsu: Homing Beacon!"

As soon as her hand hit Hinata's chest she instantly felt it begin to burn away at her palm, but she held it there until she saw the seal appear. Flipping off of her chest quickly, Renge turned around and went as quickly as she could through some more hand signs.

"Water Style: Rising Geyser!" she yelled and slammed her hand down on the ground.

There was a brief lull and Hinata tried to get up but as soon as she moved there was a deep rumble that shook the ground. Suddenly a huge pillar of water erupted where Hinata lay sending her flying into the air. That's when Naruto stepped in. Gathering chakra in both his legs and his right hand he jumped up to meet her.

"Ōdama Rasengan!" he yelled as he slammed the giant swirling orb of wind chakra into Hinata sending her flying over the wall of the village and crashing through the trees of the forest that surrounded them.

Landing on the ground, Naruto was quickly joined by Renge and Jihibiki. Renge placed her hands on each of their shoulders and then gave Naruto a nod.

"Sorry Neji but we're going to go on ahead; you'll have to catch up." Naruto said and in a bright flash all three of them disappeared, leaving Neji utterly stunned.

* * *

><p>Tenten had finally managed to clam Ino down and the group was now making small talk in the lumber yard while they waited for results of Hinata's duel. They had heard a few rumbles coming from the Hyuuga complex for the past two hours, but a sudden deep rumble that shook the ground caused them all too look up in that direction.<p>

"What was that?" Choji asked as he absent-mindedly reached into his bag of potato chips.

"I don't know, but whatever it was it was big, bordering on a ninjutsu." Tenten said before looking confused and asking. "I thought Neji said that Hyuuga duels forbid the use of any ninjutsu or genjutsu?"

"That he did Tenten-chan." Lee said from atop a lumber pile. "Which begs the question, what taijutsu attack is capable of causing that kind of destruction? My Iron Lotus technique is capable and Gai-sensei has a few that could cause those kinds of shockwaves but I do not know of anyone else capable of doing that."

"That's because it isn't taijutsu." Shino said bluntly.

Everyone looked over to see him conversing with one of his insects. "Someone is using ninjutsu, the match is over." A moment later, another bug landed on his finger and Shino visibly tensed. "We should go now, Hinata is in trouble."

Not waiting for anyone, Shino took off towards the Hyuuga complex in a full out sprint.

"What the hell is going on?" Ino asked, voicing what everyone else was thinking.

"I don't know, but I guess we better go find out." Shikamaru said with a sigh as he jumped down from the lumber pile and followed.

It didn't take long for the rest of the group to get up and follow after quickly. By the time Shikamaru and the others had caught up with Shino they could see the Hyuuga complex just up ahead, however, something was wrong and the large amount of people pouring out of the complex screaming and shouting was a pretty good indicator.

"Something does not feel right." Lee said uneasily as he took in the chaos.

"Shino!" a voice called out in sudden panic and the group turned to see Hanabi making a beeline straight for the bug user with tears in her eyes.

Before Shino could say anything she quickly threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his jacket as her tears began to fall. She was one of the few that were not put off by the fact that he housed insects inside his body. Over the years they had developed a distant kind of brother sister relationship which Shino accepted happily since she, just like her sister, did not judge him.

"Hanabi-chan, what's wrong?" Shino asked a bit more concerned than his voice usually let on.

"I-Its nee-chan! S-Something is w-wrong with her." Hanabi's voice was muffled as she sobbed into Shino's jacket but everyone heard her.

"Oh no, not again…" Ino whispered to herself and everyone turned to look at her confused.

Shino raised his eyebrow. "I take it this isn't your first time dealing with this situation?"

Ino nodded her head. "Once before at the hospital, she went into a fit of rage. Her eyes…" she trailed off and shivered as she remembered the blood thirst she saw in them. Then she continued, "Her eyes were red, red as blood."

Shino was quiet for a moment before looking at the crowd of Hyuugas down to Hanabi.

"I think it's much worse than just red eyes this time." he said solemnly.

Hanabi nodded her head with a sniffle in confirmation. Suddenly there was another deep rumble and everyone looked at the walled complex to see a large geyser of water with a strange red creature on top shoot out of the ground. Immediately after that they saw an orange flash shoot up to meet it followed by a giant blue ball of light that sent the creature flying out of the village with a deafening crash. Everyone shielded their eyes except for Shino who stoically watched through his sunglasses.

"That was a Rasengan…but who can do that? I thought Naruto was the only one who knew that jutsu?" Choji asked thoroughly confused.

"We need to go now." Shino commanded.

Quickly he pulled Hanabi off of him and gave her an awkward yet reassuring pat on the head before motioning for the others to follow. The group left immediately and upon arriving at the gate they found their way blocked by an ANBU captain.

"I'm sorry but we have orders to prevent anyone from entering the area." The captain said definitively.

"But we're here to help!" shouted Tenten and Ino at the same time.

"Who's orders?" Shikamaru asked.

"Naruto-sama instructed us to keep guard. He says it's too dangerous for anyone else and that he is dealing with the situation himself." The captain answered.

"What?" Shikamaru asked as he tried to wrap his brain around what was happening.

"It's okay captain, they may come in." Neji said appearing at the captain's side.

"What about the threat?" The captain asked.

"If you mean Hinata-sama then the threat has past." Neji answered rather harshly to the captain causing him to flinch slightly. "Naruto removed her from the village to the forest just west of here." Neji continued. "They may come with me to help and assist Naruto. As ANBU your priority is to protect the village. Since Hinata is no longer here I'm sure you will be focusing your efforts on the wall to make sure she does not reenter the village, is that correct?"

"Hai, that is correct. My men will relocate to the wall now." The captain said and with a hand motion he and his men disappeared, but not before looking at Neji and saying, "Good luck."

"Neji, what the hell is going on?" Tenten shouted more than asked.

"There's no time to explain. Quickly, follow me." Neji said grimly before turning and running to the wall, vaulting it in one leap, and continuing on his way.

Shino didn't hesitate and left right on Neji's heels while the rest of the group looked at each other in confusion before quickly following behind.

* * *

><p>"Kiba, are we getting close?" Sakura asked as the trio plus one hound ran down a random road on the outskirts of the Land of Iron.<p>

"Yeah, just a few more miles, their scents are getting stronger." Kiba answered.

Suddenly Kiba's nose twitched and his eyes went wide before narrowing and Akamaru made a short slightly confused whimper. Sai immediately picked up on this and wasted no time on thinking about what it meant.

"Kiba what is it?"

Kiba was quiet for a moment before answering slowly.

"I think I smell…I don't know it's been so long…No, it definitely is…Sasuke…I'm picking up Sasuke's scent!" he said excitedly after finally placing a finger on the familiar smell.

Sakura nearly tripped when she heard what Kiba said and she felt her stomach drop and her heart rise to her throat at the same time. Immediately her mind began going in a thousand different directions. _"What is Sasuke doing all the way out here? Are Naruto and Sasuke fighting again? Will he come back now that his brother is dead? Where did he go after that fight?"_ She shook her head as she tried to clear her thoughts.

"Okay, change of plans." Sakura said as she tried to come up with a plan. "Sasuke is the reason we are coming all the way out here to talk to Naruto so let's just head for Sasuke instead. We can try and bring him back to the village ourselves. If all four of us work together we should be able to bring him back even if he's unwilling."

Sai was quiet for a moment as he just stared at Sakura. Part of him didn't believe or trust what she was saying but eventually he nodded in agreement. He then turned his attention to Kiba.

"Kiba, how much further is Sasuke from Naruto?"

"Actually, Sasuke is closer to us than Naruto is." Kiba admitted and Akamaru voiced his opinion with a bark.

"What? How? You just caught wind of Sasuke's scent." Sakura asked confused now as well.

"I know, but Sasuke's scent is much stronger than Naruto's is. It's weird though, it just randomly appeared out of nowhere. I would say that he is about two miles northeast of where we are now." The tracking ninja said after running through some quick calculations.

"I see…" Sakura trailed off as she realized what she had to do.

Dropping back a few steps while pretending to be lost in thought, Sakura inconspicuously reached into her side pouch. After double checking to make sure that neither of her two teammates was looking she pulled out two senbon needles, took aim, and let them fly. Sai and Kiba didn't even know what was happening. One minute they were running through the forest fine and the next they both were sent crashing to the ground with their limbs going numb and refusing to respond. Sai struggled as best he could and managed to pull the needle out of the back of his neck. His eyes widened as he looked from the needle to Sakura who now stood over both of.

"S-Sakura…why?" he managed to get out breathlessly.

"I'm sorry Sai, I really am." Sakura said as she checked Kiba and found that he had already lost consciousness. "But this is something I have to do alone."

Sakura turned to leave but found Akamaru blocking her path and growling.

"It's okay Akamaru, he'll be fine." She said reassuringly. "I just gave him something that will put him out for awhile. Just watch over these two while I'm gone okay?"

Akamaru growled one last time before hanging his head and whining before slinking over to Kiba and lying beside him. With her path clear, Sakura began running in the direction Kiba had last said. Sai watched her leave through his blurred and darkening vision. Slowly closing his eyes he had one thought on his mind as the darkness consumed him.

"_Bitch…"_

* * *

><p>Sakura found a road that led in the direction that Kiba had last mention so she decided to follow it for awhile in hopes of speeding up her progress. After a few minutes she saw a stone bridge up ahead and as she drew closer to it she could feel a cold presence start to surround her. <em>"What the hell is this?"<em> she wondered as she slowed to a walk and entered onto the bridge. However she stopped when she saw the destruction that had taken place.

The bridge was in shambles, barely managing to stay intact. The large stones that made up the bridge were deeply cracked in some areas and in others had been reduced to nothing more than gravel. In the center of the bridge a perfect bowl had been cut out of it and off to the side of that was a massive tree randomly growing out of the bridge.

"What in Kami's name did this?" she asked herself in a whisper.

That's when she noticed the blood. Not just a little blood here and there, but everywhere, coating most of the bridge in puddles, sprays, streaks, and even some bloody foot prints. Continuing out onto the bridge further Sakura saw that a large portion of the blood was coming from a body lying off to the side. Walking over to inspect the body she saw that it was of a fairly attractive girl around her age that had bright red hair and glasses. She wore a light purple zip up vest much like what Sakura was wearing that revealed her stomach. She had a matching purple short skirt and had fishnet armored shorts underneath. She knelt down to study the body further and upon further inspection she found something that made her stomach drop.

"Holy shit, she's still alive!" Sakura yelled out to no one in particular. Instantly she went into medic mode and began healing the severe stab wounds she had in her chest.

"Is she now?" came a cool voice that caused Sakura's blood to freeze. Looking over her shoulder she saw that Sasuke was standing behind her with blood coming from his eye and a small but sadistic smile on his face. "Well we can't allow that. After all, she is of no use to me now."

Sakura stood up hesitantly and took him in, not sure if he was truly standing in front of her.

"Sasuke?" she asked hesitantly trying to find her voice. "Sasuke what happened here?"

Sasuke frowned for a moment in what seemed like irritation but then smiled evilly. "It's really none of your concern but since you want to know so badly I'll tell you. What you see here is the aftermath of the battle between me and Danzo."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. "You…you murdered Danzo, our Hokage Danzo?"

Sasuke's smile immediately disappeared. "No, I did not murder him! Murder implies that he was innocent! No, I killed Danzo as an act of retribution for my clan. He was one the men responsible for their demise and now he has been dealt with." His face turned impassive as he stared Sakura down. "This means that now I can deal with the Leaf Village and destroy that accursed place that sentenced my clan to death. And since you are still part of the Leaf, I'll start with you!"

Without any warning Sasuke activated his Sharingan and charged Sakura with his katana drawn and lightning crackling to life around it. However, after a few steps he suddenly screamed and fell to the ground covering his eyes with his hands allowing his sword to fall away from him. Sakura stared at him for a moment to make sure it wasn't a trick before she slowly started to walk towards him. Kneeling down next to him, Sakura gentle placed her hand over his eyes before allowing her chakra to leave her hand and begin to heal him.

"Sasuke…" she said gently, "The only thing I want to be a part of is you."

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Yamato were racing back to Fire country as fast as they could after Yamato had repaired the hotel room. Yamato was in the lead but he quickly switched directions when he randomly felt a familiar presence in the area. Kakashi noticed the change in direction and had to ask.<p>

"What's going on?"

"There's a familiar presence in the area, and as you know that shouldn't be happening." Yamato said slightly confused and on edge. So much had happened today and now all he wanted to do was get home and soak at the bath house, he was done with surprises.

They traveled a few hundred meters before they came to a clearing and saw two people lying there unconscious with a large dog guarding them.

"That's Kiba's dog, Akamaru." Kakashi said recognizing the ninja hound. "What are they doing here?"

Akamaru noticed them and barked excitedly as if to call them over. When they arrived they saw that the two people were in fact Kiba and Sai. Walking over to Kiba, Kakshi lightly tapped his face.

"Hey, wake up. What happened here?" he asked.

Kiba cracked an eye and groaned before answering sleepily. "Sakura…went after..Sasuke…Two miles…northeast." After he managed what he needed to say he promptly passed out again.

Kakashi thought for a moment before turning to Yamato. "Okay change of plans. Wait here until they're ready to move and once they are continue back to the village to check on Naruto. I'm going to go after Sakura and try to get her before she reaches Sasuke."

Yamato wanted to argue but he knew it was for the best so with a nod he handed him a small seed. "Keep this with you; it will relay information to me. Good luck Sempai."

Kakashi nodded and then did a few seals before touching the ground. Smoke erupted from the ground and when it cleared a small dog was sitting there with a vest and Leaf headband on.

"You need something Kakashi?" it asked.

"As a matter of fact I do Pakun. We are going to track down Sakura; do you still remember her scent?" Kakashi asked.

Pakun nodded and after taking a few sniffs around found the direction and took off running. Kakashi gave Yamato a wave and quickly followed behind.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was confused as to what he had just heard come from Sakura's mouth. He had just admitted that he killed Danzo, the newly elected Hokage of the Leaf village. Then, he tried to kill Sakura and now she was <em>healing<em> him. He couldn't understand it, why would she help him? He was so lost in thought that he almost didn't feel the tears hitting his face or her speaking softly to him.

"Sasuke…I came here fully intending to kill you…" she whispered sadly and she could feel him tense slightly in her lap. "But…I now know that it is not possible to kill someone that you truly love."

Her voice cut straight into Sasuke and sudden images of his brother flashed through his mind causing a lump to rise in his throat. _"It's true." _He thought. _"Itachi could kill my entire clan but he could never bring himself to kill me."_ He listened intently as Sakura continued.

"You always said that you were alone, that no one was ever there for you Sasuke. But I was…I was always there for you. All I wanted to do was take away your pain, ease your suffering, but you never let me…You never saw or acknowledged me. You saw me as just another fan girl, someone who only wanted to be with you because of who you were." Sakura suppressed a sob before she continued. "I love you Sasuke, I always have…And I will do whatever it takes to ease your pain and suffering now. You could come back to the village with me. Everyone misses you Sasuke and they would be so happy to see you again. I could help you start over…help you rebuild your clan from the ground up." She blushed slightly at the thought of 'rebuilding' the clan. "But…If that isn't what you want, then let me come with you. I'll help you with your goals…even if…even if it means helping you destroy the Leaf village." She paused for a moment as she let what she said sink into Sasuke. "But if you cannot walk away from this path then I have only one question for you. Will you acknowledge me? Will you accept me for who I am and accept my love?"

For the first time in three years Sasuke felt unsure of what he wanted to accomplish. He had been so dead set on revenge that he had no time to think about any other feelings. Now, as he lay in Sakura's lap while she was healing him, Sasuke found himself reconsidering everything that he had been preparing for. _"Can I really go through with this?" _he asked himself. Images of his brother, mother, father, and everyone else in his clan flashed before him. _"Yes…yes I can."_ he told himself. _"And she will be useful!"_

Finding his voice he spoke. "Okay Sakura, come with me. Help me with this and I'm yours."

He heard a slight intake of breath and then he continued. "But Karin." he said motioning with his head, "She is a lose end that needs to be dealt with."

Although he couldn't see because of the bandages Sakura had wrapped around his eyes he could feel her nod.

"I'll take care of it." She said emotionlessly and gently set his head off to the side before getting up and walking away.

There was a pause before he heard a deep yet familiar voice ask him seemingly out of nowhere. "Do you think we can trust her?"

"We're about to find out." Sasuke said coldly trying to hide his surprise.

Sakura slowly walked up to Karin while pulling out a syringe. Kneeling down next to the girl she tried not to look her in the eyes as she raised the syringe to Karin's neck.

"Please…don't…" she heard a weak voice say and instantly Sakura was forced to close her eyes tight as new tears began to roll down her face.

"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered back before plunging the syringe into her neck.

"Excellent." Madara said with a smile in his eye as he watched Karin's chakra network fade out. "It seems you have a replacement for Karin." Sasuke gave him no answer and chose to remain silent.

Karin shudder for a brief second before her eyes closed and her body went limp. Still crying Sakura pulled the syringe out and then placed both of Karin's hands over her chest. Slowly standing up she walked back to Sasuke completely ignoring Madara.

"Time to go." Madara said and placing his hand on Sasuke and Sakura he began to suck them into the spiraling void where his eye was. In a matter of seconds all that was left was the carnage from the previous battle and the crying of the wind as it blew through the canyon.


	12. Pandemonium Pt 2

**Author's Note: Okay so I think I got all the bugs worked out of Chapter 11, sorry about that but the lines didn't appear when I put them in. Well here's the next chapter just like I promised. I know they are slightly shorter than normal but hey, you're getting two chapters in one day so quiet down back there! Hope you enjoy this chapter because this will be the last one for some time that has any real action in it. I've decided that the story needs to take a break so you guys can catch your breath. After this it will be more plot development with maybe some fluff here and there so enjoy this while you can! Once again please, read and review!**

**Chapter 12: Pandemonium! Part 2**

Naruto felt himself suddenly blur forward before jerking to a stop. Looking around dazed he saw that he was no longer in the Hyuuga complex but somewhere in the forest that surrounded the village.

"That…that was the Hiraishin jutsu wasn't it, the one my father created and used?" He asked in disbelief.

"No dear child." Renge said as she panted heavily. "What I just used is the basic form of the Hiraishin. It involves a seal just like the Hiraishin but lacks accuracy, only getting the user near the seal. Your father took this jutsu and modified it into what you now know today, giving it pin point accuracy."

"Then where is the seal at?" Naruto asked looking around.

"Renge placed it on the girl before you knocked her away." Jihibiki answered. "My guess, follow the trail of destruction." As he said this he pointed and Naruto turned around to see a large pathway of trees knocked over and broken to pieces.

Naruto felt worry well up inside him for Hinata's well being but he quickly assured himself that with the chakra armor surrounding her body that she was fine from the crash.

"Come on," Naruto said as he readied himself for the upcoming battle, "we've got no time to waste."

The old couple nodded but before they could leave Renge reached into her cloak and pulled out a scroll.

"Here Naruto-kun take this." She said as she handed it over to him. "It's the scroll I was supposed to use, but my hand is severely burned from when I place the seal on Hinata and I have barely any chakra left from using that last jutsu. Jihibiki showed you the hand signs to use in conjunction with this scroll correct?"

Naruto nodded in confirmation.

"Then it's up to you boy." She said with a smile.

Naruto smiled back and with a jerk of his head they all took off following the path of destruction to find Hinata.

It didn't take them long to find Hinata, by the time they reached the end of the trail she was already up and destroying everything in her way in a fit of rage.

"**Hey Naruto?" **

"_Yeah, what's up Kyuubi?"_ Naruto asked as he and Jihibiki continued towards Hinata while Renge held back.

"**There's something you should probably know about Hinata."** Kyuubi said, his voice suggesting that he was about to reveal a secret.

"_What about her?"_ Naruto asked frantically. He thought he had planned out everything in case of this kind of emergency but from the way Kyuubi was talking it sounded as if it may be a game changer. Kyuubi remained quiet and Naruto grew impatient as he drew closer to Hinata.

"Well?" he practically shouted causing Hinata to turn and notice the two incoming shinobi.

Kyuubi took a deep breath before booming at the top of his lungs, **"THAT GIRL MAKES ONE SEXY VIXEN!"**

Naruto face planted, literally, skidding several feet before coming to a stop in a heap. Jihibiki skidded to a stop as well and looked back at him confused as to what had happened and even Hinata had cocked her head in slight confusion.

Slowly pulling himself up off the ground he muttered in exasperation, "Why? Why do you always do this when I'm in a serious situation?"

After finally calming his laughing Kyuubi answered him. **"I have no idea what you're talking about."** But as an afterthought he whistled loudly causing Naruto to grit his teeth.

"_When this is over I'm going to make you pay for what you just did."_ Naruto hissed angrily.

"**And what will you do brat, tack on a few more years to my sentence?" **Kyuubi asked sarcastically.

"_Oh trust me fuzz ball, I'll think of something."_ Naruto promised.

"Naruto," Jihibiki's voice snapped Naruto out of his conversation with his prisoner, "this really isn't the best time to be talking with Kurama."

"Ano…who's Kurama?" Naruto asked looking around him confused. Inside his head he could hear the sound of what could be best describe as someone face palming while Jihibiki practically deflated.

"Later, later I will explain." the old shinobi said defeated. "But for now can we please focus on the current crisis at hand?"

Naruto didn't even get a chance to respond because Hinata roared viciously before pushing off towards them, her red chakra tail dragging the ground and leaving a trail of burnt and smoldering grass. Naruto and Jihibiki wasted no time jumping into action, while Naruto rushed in close Jihibiki fired off jutsu from a distance in hope of trying to keep Hinata on her toes.

"Earth Style: Rock Missiles!" Jihibiki shouted summoning up his earthen projectiles once again.

Jihibiki fired the missiles straight over Naruto's head as he raced to close the gap between Hinata and himself. However, Hinata would have nothing to do with the same jutsu again so with an angry roar that shook the trees surrounding them she slashed her claws through the air three times, each time releasing massive walls of red, moving, visible chakra. This caught Naruto by surprise as he and the rocks were blasted backwards with extreme force, enough of which that he could feel his teeth rattle inside his skull. Tumbling back end over end Naruto came sliding to a stop on one knee but quickly bolted forward as if he were a sprinter. _"I need to get in close; long distance won't work with her."_ Naruto thought. Forming his single seal he quickly made five clones that ran around until they completely surrounded Hinata. She stared at the original Naruto and deep growl came from her throat as she crouched down in preparation.

"Earth Style: Rock Needles!" Jihibiki shouted from the background and instantly hundreds of rock senbon needles shot from the earth before surrounding Hinata.

In one fluid motion Jihibiki sent the needles raining down on Hinata while at the same time Naruto and his clones charged in. Hinata just began to twirl in her spot and by the time Naruto realized what was happening it was too late. There was a sudden flash of bright red light followed by an explosion that rocked the area as a red spinning orb erupted from where Hinata once was standing, melting away the rock needles and disintegrating Naruto's clones. Naruto, however, was thrown back as a pillar of earth underneath him burst from the ground throwing him backwards, but it didn't keep him entirely safe. Naruto could feel his skin start to blister from the intense heat of the blast and the force behind the explosion that hit him mid air sent him skidding out of control across the ground before coming to a stop several meters away.

After a few moments of re-verifying what up and down Naruto stood up. _"Holy shit that was hot!"_ he thought as he looked down at the backs of his hands and saw small blisters had formed from the heat of the blast when he had protected his face. He didn't have time to dwell on that thought though as Hinata suddenly appeared before him and swiped at his chest. It was blocked though when a rock wall shot up in-between the two giving Naruto a chance to jump back and regroup with Jihibiki. Hinata growled in frustration at having been stopped once again by the old man.

"Thanks for the saves back there old man." Naruto said as he landed beside the earth user.

"No problem Naruto-kun, but we need to figure something out fast. My chakra won't last much longer and then it will just be you." Jihibiki said slightly out of breath.

"If I can engage her in taijutsu I think I'll be alright, but she's fast and damn near impossible to hit, not to mention that chakra armor is protecting her from a lot of damage." Naruto said frustrated.

Naruto didn't want to hurt her, he hated even the thought of doing her any harm but he knew that if he couldn't affect her in anyway then he wouldn't be able to help her. He was quickly brought out of his thoughts when Hinata suddenly appeared between them and swiped at him. Naruto was quick enough to duck under her attack but Jihibiki was not so lucky. Hinata's tail thrashed viciously and sent him flying through the air before crashing to a stop in a tree.

"Old man!' Naruto cried out.

Without even thinking Naruto cocked his fist back and charged it with his sage chakra. Jumping up from his ducking position he blasted Hinata under the chin with a devastating upper cut and sent her flying back. Immediately he felt a searing burn on his knuckles and looked down to see them bloodied and raw as if they had been burned. _"So it is just like my demon armor, it burns everything it comes into contact with."_ Naruto confirmed.

"Well if that's the case and I'm going do this by myself then I'm going to need more chakra." Naruto said to himself and held up a ram sign.

Back in the Hyuuga complex the last ANBU member still remaining on the rooftop disappeared, and Naruto instantly felt the rush of natural chakra replenish and fill him.

"Okay, let's finish this!" Naruto shouted. _"Hang in there Hinata I'm going to get you back, I promise!"_

* * *

><p>Karin cracked her eyes open just enough to see the blue sky shine down brightly on her. <em>"How am I still alive?"<em> she asked herself. However, she felt so weak she didn't even feel like trying to come up with an answer. She closed her eyes for a few minutes and tried to ignore the pain in her chest so she focused on the muffled sounds that were echoing around her now. _"Wait, sounds?"_ Karin opened her eyes to see two blurry dark figures standing over her. One was right in her face while the other was at her side looking down at her.

"She's…alive…get her…back…hospital." One voice said. Karin tried as hard as she could but it was just too difficult to focus on anything.

"Give her…pill…last her…trip." The other voice said.

She was so out of it Karin couldn't even keep her eyes open any longer but she felt a sudden hand grab her mouth and open it before sticking a pill of some sort in her mouth and close it. Karin didn't know what it was but she swallowed it nonetheless, she was dying after all. Suddenly she felt a rush of energy and opened her eyes to clearly see a small dog and a man with a mask over most of his face with white hair and one eye covered.

"Well that…fast…" the dog said looking at the man. Karin tried to focus but she still couldn't quite hear everything as it continued to go in and out.

"It should…for now…meet up…others." The masked man said as he bent down and picked up Karin.

It was during this time that Kakashi noticed Karin had something in her hand. Grabbing it from her grasp he quickly pocketed it before he situated her on his back.

"Are you sure Sakura's scent stops here?" he asked the hound.

"Positive." Pakun responded confidently. "Sorry Kakashi but the trail stops cold.

"Thanks Pakun, I can take it from here then." Kakashi said.

Pakun gave a salute before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Kakashi turned back the way he came and dashed off trying to shorten the distance between him and Konoha as quickly as he could.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Naruto charged each other and met in the middle of the now cleared area of forest with a fierce taijutsu match. Hinata was the first to strike, throwing a clawed hand forward in an attempt to stab straight through Naruto. The blond ninja would have nothing of it though and knocked it away with a block that never even touched her. Naruto then sent a punch straight at her face but stopped inches away before expelling his sage chakra and allowing it to continue forward and knock her back a few steps. Thoroughly enraged now, Hinata roared and started to slash madly at Naruto causing him to go on the defensive. He ducked, jumped, and dodged as many attacks as he could and the ones he couldn't he would use his sage chakra to block.<p>

Though all of this somewhere in the back of his mind he suddenly felt a familiar presence or, to be more precise, seven of them. _"What the hell are they doing here?" _he wondered to himself. His attention was immediately turned back to the situation before him as Hinata had started to send walls of chakra at him again.

Swiftly going through some hand signs he shouted, "Sage Style: Natural Disaster- Hurricane!"

Taking a deep breath in, he held it for a moment before exhaling sharply. A large visible ball of vicious wind and sage chakra expelled from his mouth and shot forward to meet the oncoming walls of demon chakra. An explosion ensued but neither of the two waited for it to die down and both jumped into the middle of it to engage each other once again.

Neji was the first to arrive at the battleground. Breaking through the tree line, he continued running until he was about twenty meters away from Naruto and Hinata's battle. Shino was next, and as soon as he saw what was before him he stopped dead in his tracks.

"H-Hinata?" was all the bug user could get out.

"Shino, why did you stop?" Lee asked as he and the rest of the group caught up.

Shino remained speechless and the others were forced to follow his gaze until they saw the same thing he did.

"Is that Naruto?" Tenten asked in confusion.

"Naruto!" Ino shouted grabbing his attention for a split second. When she saw she had his attention she fired off her questions. "I thought you left the village? Did you talk to the Raikage? What did he say? What's going on?"

Naruto's eyes went wide for a second as he tried to process all the questions Ino had just drilled him with. After a moment he answered while still blocking Hinata's relentless attacks.

"I did..."

Naruto ducked under a swipe.

"Yes…"

He continued as he jumped over a lower one.

"No..."

He bent backwards as she attempted to spear him in the chest.

"Explain later…"

Still bent back he put his hands on the ground and sent a kick into Hinata's ribs sending her flying to the side.

Looking over at Ino he finished. "In that order." He ignored the stunned and confused looks the group was giving him and turned his attention to Neji. "How are we looking Neji?" he asked hopefully.

Neji gritted his teeth before answering. "Her demonic chakra is down to seventy percent and her normal chakra hasn't changed, it's still at forty percent."

Naruto saw Hinata pulling herself from some debris and cursed under his breath knowing they still had a ways to go. _"Well since they're here I might as well use the help."_ he thought.

"Okay I could use some help guys!" Naruto shouted across the deforested area. "Lee you're with me!" Immediately Lee appeared at his side with a fiery determination burning in his eyes. Naruto ignored it and continued. "Choji, I want you to act as support, if either one of us is in trouble get us out." Choji gulped but nodded in understanding and jogged out to a spot where he could step in if needed. Naruto continued on with his orders. "Ino, Tenten, and Shino, you guys set up traps and distractions around the perimeter to make sure she doesn't escape. We don't want her getting back into the village. Shikamaru, I want you to stand by and be ready to use your paralysis jutsu when I give the signal. Neji, you know what to do."

"Baka, I'm the one that's supposed to give out orders." Shikamaru muttered, but he had to admit Naruto's plan was the best course of action so he simply sighed and nodded his head.

"Hey Naruto, what is that anyways?" Tenten asked.

Naruto was quiet for a moment before he looked down and answered with pain in his voice. "It's…Hinata…"

"B-But…what happened to her?" Ino asked in horror and her eyes started to go misty as she watched her friend thrash about in rage.

Naruto could see the apprehension on all of their faces so he spoke. "Listen, I know all of you are worried and you don't want to hurt her. Trust me, neither do I and as long as she's like this we won't be able to. I can't even do it in my sage mode. I need your help with this, I have a way to save her but we need to work together."

Everyone nodded as they tried to prepare for a fight against their once soft spoken and shy friend. Hinata had finally managed to free herself from the tangled mess of trunks she was in and began to walk on all fours towards Naruto and Lee growling sinisterly.

"Lee, I would like to make a suggestion." Naruto said shooting a sideways glance at the green spandex ninja. Lee looked at him curiously and Naruto continued. "Drop the leg weights and open at least five inner gates."

"But Naruto, don't you think that's a little overkill?" Lee asked concerned. He was worried he would seriously hurt Hinata.

"Lee," Naruto said seriously, leveling him with a gaze, "I'm in my sage mode and I'm having trouble with her. No, it is not overkill, if anything it is needed."

Lee nodded and in a flash he removed his leg weights and still holding them he began to focus.

"First five Gates; Gates of Opening, Rest, Life, Pain, Closing! Open!"

Massive amounts of chakra suddenly erupted from Lee causing his hair to blow upwards. His skin darkened and the veins on his head began to bulge.

Looking at Naruto he spoke in a deeper voice than usual. "I am ready Naruto, let's save Hinata."

Naruto nodded and disappeared only to reappear meters away running towards Hinata to meet her. Hinata wasted no time and charged forward, red chakra pouring out of her mouth in the form of a visible vapor.

She only made it a few steps though when she was sent hurtling back after two incredibly heavy objects crashed into her chest. After Lee had thrown his leg weights at Hinata he disappeared as well only to reappear behind her as she was flying backwards and sent her back the way she came with a spine shattering sidekick. After flying a few meters Naruto caught her with a sage-fueled hook to the ribs, jab to the sternum, and cross to the face which sent her back again towards Lee. The green beast closed the distance, meeting her with a roundhouse to the head sending her in a different direction only to be met by Naruto, again, who did a spinning back kick at a slight angle causing Hinata to arc up in the air. Lee suddenly appeared behind her in mid air and wrapping his arms around Hinata, began to rotate the two of them rapidly before smashing Hinata into the ground at break neck speed. Naruto once again reappeared above them and did a flying superman punch into Hinata's stomach with such great force that it cracked the ground around them. The power behind the attack was so great that it cause Hinata to bounce back up into the air and the process started all over again.

The rest of the group stood on watching the entire fight in a state of shock and awe.

"How are they moving together like this? Their attacks seem so perfectly timed!" Ino said as her jaw hung open in disbelief.

"Lee had said something about how he and Naruto had been training together ever since the attack on the village, but I never thought much of it." Tenten said in just as much disbelief as Ino had.

On the other side of the battlefield Neji was watching an entirely different fight unfold. _"Their attacks are becoming faster, closer together, more in sync. They're actually starting to attack as one unit."_

Sure enough Naruto and Lee had now become so fast and so close to Hinata that they both were hitting her at the same time directly opposite of where the other was striking. The result was Hinata standing perfectly still as her body was crushed under intense pressure from two sides. Thunderous cracking echoed through the woods as Naruto and Lee's attacks cancelled each other out. By now, Hinata's animal instincts were in overdrive and her fight or flight response had been switched. While Naruto and Lee were winding up for their next attack Hinata released a massive amount of chakra from her body at once causing a massive wall of chakra to hit both Lee and Naruto knocking them back. Hinata took this opportunity to make a break for the tree line.

Sprinting on all fours, she streaked across the field and was only meters from the tree line when the traps started to go off. Paper bombs started detonating, knocking Hinata this way and that while kunai hit and slowed her down even though they bounced off her armor. With a frustrated roar she leapt high into the air in an attempt to bypass all the hidden traps.

"Shit! She's going to get away!" Tenten cursed as she and Ino watched Hinata pass over them.

"Leave it to me." Ino said before making a window with her fingers and tracking Hinata through the air. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Ino's body slumped to the ground and Hinata went ridged for a moment before suddenly switching directions in the air and aiming for a certain spot on the ground. As soon as she was about to hit Ino woke back up.

"Now!" she shouted.

Tenten didn't need and explanation, she knew exactly what Ino had done. Sending out a pulse of chakra, Tenten activated a very large cluster of paper bombs that Ino had placed Hinata on top of. The explosion rocked the land for miles and a huge pillar of smoke, fire, and debri was sent up in the air. The explosion was so great that everyone in the immediate area was forced to shield themselves or take cover. After a few moments, Hinata came crashing to the ground and Tenten leapt into action. Jumping high into the air she pulled out two scrolls and unraveled them.

"Summoning Jutsu: Iron Rainstorm!"

Hundreds of kunai exploded from the two scrolls and began to rain down on top of Hinata at high speeds. Although they didn't actually pierce her armor, there were enough of them traveling fast enough to pelt her down in the endless barrage of sharpened iron. Tenten wasn't done though, as soon as the last kunai hit the ground she activated paper bombs that were wrapped around the handles of the kunai. Once again another fire storm erupted shaking the ground around the shinobi. Tenten allowed a smirk to cross her face but it was short lived when Hinata exploded from the fire and slashed her across the chest with an extended chakra arm. The attack would have been much worse had Shino's insects attacked Hinata's eyes and face at the last second slightly distracting her.

"Tenten!" Lee screamed and vanished only to reappear catching her as she fell.

Blood was pouring out of her chest and right arm and she was already starting to pale.

"Lee…" she said weakly before losing consciousness.

"Tenten!" Lee screamed again. Nobody could tell he was crying because the extreme heat from his body just caused the tears to evaporate away.

Hinata took no note of this and with a feral growl she pulled back to strike Lee down as well.

"Lee move!" Naruto shouted but it was no use, Lee had become frozen as he held onto his teammate's broken and bloodied body.

Shino tried to use his bugs to divert Hinata's attention but she would have none of it. She had tasted blood and she wanted the kill. Releasing another wall of chakra off of her body, Shino's bugs were incinerated from the extreme heat and she continued on towards her victim unchallenged. Hinata was just about to land her blow when a giant hand suddenly swatted her away. Choji took his spot in front of Lee with his arms out wide in a protective manner even though his hand had been severely burned from knocking Hinata away. As he did this Ino appeared behind him and crouched down next to Lee.

"Let me see her Lee." Ino said softly as she put a hand on his shoulder.

For a moment Lee didn't budge but he quickly laid her gently on the ground so Ino could start healing her.

"Thank you, now go help Naruto. Choji will protect us okay?" Ino ordered more than asked.

Lee nodded his head and disappeared and Ino sighed. _"Hang in there Tenten; I'll get you patched up."_

Lee appeared next to Naruto who look at him concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Let's just finish this before anyone else gets hurt." He said emotionlessly which alarmed Naruto slightly considering Lee was always filled with some kind of emotion. But after a moment he suddenly shouted, "Sixth Gate: Gate of Joy, OPEN!" Instantly even more chakra began to pour out of Lee and Naruto took a side step away in shock.

Hinata ignored the obviously emotional green beast and ran towards them but the moment she was within striking distance Lee sent her flying with a backhand.

Naruto took this opportunity to look at Neji. "How are we doing?"

"Fifty-five to forty." Neji answered back.

Naruto looked at Lee. "We could use _that_ jutsu. I know it would finish her off."

"Yes it would." Lee said back. "However, with the speed she is showing I will not be able to adjust if she dodges the attack."

"I can help with that." Shikamaru called out reluctantly.

"And so can I."

Both Lee and Naruto turned around to Jihibiki limping towards them.

"Old man, you okay?" Naruto asked worried but relieved to see he was still alive.

"Yes, but your girlfriend needs to work on her anger issues." Jihibiki said flatly.

Naruto scowled but asked, "How can you help?"

Jihibiki smiled and looked at Shikamaru. "Oi, pineapple head! Do you think you could catch the girl in a paralysis jutsu for a few seconds?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "It's troublesome but yeah, no problem."

"Do that then and leave the rest to me." Jihibiki said and then turned his attention back to Naruto. "You'll know when to go."

Naruto nodded and he and Lee stood back to give the old man some space to work with. Hinata saw her new target and rushed him hoping to end him quickly but she froze mid step. Confused and enraged she roared as she struggled to break free, never once noticing the thin shadow that connected her to Shikamaru.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu a success." Shikamaru called out with a smile but then frowned and began to sweat. "I would hurry up though, I'm barely containing her."

Jihibiki nodded and flashed through some seals before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in to concentrate.

"Forbidden Combination Style: Diamond Prison!" he said as he slammed his palm onto the ground.

There was a slight rumble and then brilliant clear crystals burst from the ground underneath Hinata and began to grow and morph around her. Shikamaru released his jutsu and dropped to his knees breathing heavily. Jihibiki on the other hand was having trouble breathing as more and more chakra was drained from him as the sparkling diamond crystal continued to grow around Hinata. By the time the glittering crystal had reached Hinata's shoulders Jihibiki nose was bleed severely and he had blood in the corner of his mouth. He was going to continue but a sudden and sharp pain to the back of his head sent him to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you're doin'? Are you tryin' to kill yourself?" Renge shouted angrily waving a stick over her head.

The group stared on dumbfounded at what had just happened but Hinata's growls of frustration brought them back to reality and Naruto and Lee looked at each other.

"Let's make this quick Naruto; I can't hold this gate much longer." Lee said slightly panting.

"I agree I'm almost out too." Naruto said with a nod.

Without another word they broke apart and ran on opposite sides of Hinata. The rest the group looked on in curiosity as to what was going to happen next.

"_Kyuubi you ready?"_ Naruto asked.

"**I've been charging up ever since you mentioned it."** He answered back.

Naruto nodded and he could feel what little demon chakra Kyuubi could manage through his seal flow into his right arm.

On the other side of Hinata, Lee had started a full on sprint at Hinata charging what little chakra he had left into his own right arm.

Cocking his arm back he shouted as he reached her. "Collaboration Jutsu: Rising Moon…" He blasted Hinata upwards with a glowing silver uppercut that sent cracks all through the diamond prison.

"…Setting Sun!" Naruto finished as he appeared above her with a Rasengan that was a glittering gold color from the combination of sage and demon chakra.

Slamming the Rasengan into her there was a bright flash followed by a deafening explosion. Everything after that turned into slow motion; as Hinata fell back down to earth her red chakra armor slowly receded until it was nothing more than a thin red chakra vapor coating her body. The diamond prison completely shattered sending sparkling fragments glinting and dancing in the daylight as they fell around Hinata. The scene was a breath taking and horrifying display of power and beauty. Anyone there could have sworn it looked as if an angel was falling from heaven.

As soon as Hinata hit the ground everything sped back up to normal pace. Lee collapsed from chakra exhaustion and Naruto staggered when landed as the last of his sage chakra left him. Wasting no time he shouted out.

"Neji?"

"She's alive, Naruto!" he yelled knowing that's what he wanted to know and just as relieved as Naruto was that she was still breathing.

Quickly Naruto pulled out the scroll Renge had given him earlier and knelt down next the unconscious girl. Lifting up her shirt so he could see her stomach, he saw the seal was still visible even though the red chakra was starting to fade away. _"Time to put this to rest."_ he thought as he opened the scroll and went through some hand seals. Bring some chakra so his right hand he placed it down on Hinata's smooth yet warm stomach.

"Release!" he said and instantly even more red demonic chakra began to pour out of Hinata's body.

Everyone else, save for the two old shinobi, began to panic as they thought that they would have to fight Hinata again but Naruto quickly put that thought to rest. Flashing through a few more hand seals he placed one hand over the seal on the scroll and another over Hinata.

"Sealing Jutsu: Vacuum Chakra Seal!" he said and instantly the chakra pouring out of her body began to be sucked into the seal.

Within a minute the red chakra diminished more and more until the last of thin wispy trail of red chakra disappeared into the seal and it glowed once to show it was complete. Naruto fell back on his butt and sighed in relief. Looking around at the destruction he couldn't help but be amazed that no one else was hurt other than Tenten. Looking over at Ino he asked how Tenten was.

"She's fine," Ino answered still healing her injuries, "but she needs to get to the hospital for further treatment."

Naruto nodded and then motion to Choji for him to help Ino with Tenten. The towering boy walked over and after giving Ino a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder as a silent way of saying 'good job' he scooped Tenten up and started to make his way back to the village. Naruto then looked over at Lee and sighed. _"I can't even begin to thank you Lee."_

"Shino, Shikamaru, you two get Lee." Naruto ordered and without any arguments Shino helped Shikamaru get Lee over his shoulder.

Naruto then turned his attention to the sleeping Hyuuga princess lying in front of him. With a sigh and a small smile he scooped her up carefully bridal style and turned to leave. However a glint caught his eye and he looked down at the ground in front of him to see a chunk of diamond glittering in the sun. For some unknown reason to him he carefully picked it up without dropping Hinata and slipped it into his pocket. With that being done Naruto took off at a steady run trying to catch up with everyone else and join them at the hospital. When he finally made it there he was able to set Hinata in the gurney before he promptly passed out himself.


	13. Catching Up to Speed

**Author's Note: Hey y'all! Sorry it's been awhile but you know how life is. Anyways, this chapter took forever simply due to the fact that it is the longest one to date and it is mostly focused on the man who, as someone put it, has a redwood shoved up his ass (laughed my ass off when I read that) and I wanted to get it right. On a serious note, this chapter is important because it will be shedding a whole new light on the story. So be ready for some twists, turns, loops, and an occasional corkscrew! Keep up the reviews folks, I love readin' what you have to say and what you think will happen. Now to acknowledge a few.**

**Iceflame55: Correct about Hiashi being unhappy, and you will see what he has in store for them.**

**Ookami88: Always a faithful reviewer, thank you. This chapter you will finally get to see what is going on with Hiashi. As for Naruto (shrugs) he'll cross that bridge when he finally gets the information. After all, he did just end up in the hospital. And trust me, I do have special plans for Karin. Mwhahaha!**

**SheldOg21: Your reviews always make me laugh. Lol. Not gonna lie, shit did hit the fan, but there is a plan between Karin and Sakura. Later though…you'll see.**

**TruShadowKing: Glad you are enjoying the chapters and that you continue to!**

**InuKag4everbabe: I don't plan on ever stopping until it's over so enjoy!**

**And now for the main event!**

**Chapter 13: Catching Up to Speed**

Naruto slowly felt himself come to. He was aching all over and he could already tell that he had some bandages on his body. Lying there in the bed he found it hard to focus any of his senses so he relaxed for the time being. After about a minute, however, he heard voices begin to speak and he tried as hard as he could to focus on the conversation.

"I have…on…from…ICU."

"How is…doing?"

"Deep…on shoulder…lost…blood…but…pull through."

"_Damn it what are they saying?"_ Naruto cursed in his head as he tried even harder to focus. He knew they were talking about the others and he felt the worry in him begin to swell.

"What…Lee?"

"He…in…coma…for now."

Naruto felt himself begin to panic as he remembered how hard Lee had pushed himself in their fight. He was not familiar with the side effects of opening inner gates and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt and remorse wash through him for asking for his help. _"Lee, please get better." _he begged to whatever god was listening. However, the next conversation caught his attention immediately.

"What…Hinata?"

"I'm sorry but…is gone…we couldn't…"

"HINATA!" Naruto shouted as he bolted straight up in bed. However, the sudden act of sitting up caused him to become light headed and combined with the sudden blurst of bright light that unceremoniously blasted his eyes, Naruto found himself crashing to the ground in a tangled heap of bed sheets.

The group that was speaking turned out to be a nurse, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, Shino, Neji, Renge, and Jihibiki. They all stared at Naruto surprised from his sudden outburst, but after recovering the nurse walked over and helped him back into bed.

"Naruto-sama," the nurse said as she adjusted his bed to an upright position for him to sit up in, "I know how much you strongly dislike this place, but you need to stay in bed until you have had proper rest. Do you understand?"

Naruto ignored her completely and grabbed her hand before she could move away. The sudden movement sent jolts of fiery pain all through his arm and shoulder causing him to wince but he ignored it.

"Please," he begged the nurse, staring her in the eyes, "please tell me Hinata-chan is alright."

The nurse looked confused for a moment but then smiled. "Hinata-san is fine; she will be arriving here in a few minutes to recover." The nurse said as she placed a hand on his shoulder and gently but firmly pushed him back against the bed. "Now please, stay in bed."

Naruto nodded and the nurse gave another reassuring smile before turning and walking to the door. When she reached the door she stopped and looked at everyone.

"Hinata-san and Tenten-san will be here shortly." She said before leaving the room.

Naruto sighed and leaned back in the bed._ "Why am I so sore? I didn't think I pushed myself that hard, I barely even used any of my chakra."_ he wondered. **"That's because you basically just went up against a one tailed beast. You may not have used very much chakra but physically you took a beating."** Kyuubi's voice answered him. **"You didn't realize it either, but your sage chakra and my demon chakra were so low that you used quite a bit of your normal chakra to maintain your last Rasengan."** _"Then why didn't I feel the effects when it was all over?"_ Naruto asked confused. **"You would have earlier if your adrenaline wasn't still racing through your veins right after the fight. Your emotions were so high strung that you didn't feel the effects until you got here and dropped off the girl. After that you actually calmed down and that's when it hit you and you passed out."** Kyuubi answered.

Naruto nodded his head in understanding which gained the attention of everyone else in the room.

"Naruto, are you okay?" Ino asked slightly concerned.

Naruto's eyes which seemed distant suddenly focused and he looked at her with a smile. "I'm fine Ino, just a little worried about everyone else I guess."

What he said was true, but he still didn't want anyone to know that he was conversing with the Kyuubi on a regular basis.

"Oh, well in that case everyone is fine." Ino said returning the smile. "Tenten and Hinata will be here soon. Lee is being kept in a drug induced coma until his body has repaired itself enough for him to be up and moving around. I looked over the reports on him; opening that sixth gate really did a number on his body since he has never managed to do it before."

Naruto nodded as he took in what Ino said and sighed. _"Well, at least everything turned out okay."_

At that exact moment he heard the scuffling of many feet down the fall followed by multiple voices shouting excitedly. They got closer and closer until suddenly four doctors pushing a gurney with someone on it rolled by the door at a very fast pace barking orders at nurses nearby and to one another. A second later another nurse appeared at the door breathless.

"Ino-san, would you please come with me to the E.R., we have a patient that was just admitted that is in a critical condition." the nurse said as quickly as he could through gasps of air.

Ino's face went from confused to determined in a heartbeat and with a nodded she quickly left the room with the nurse following in her steps.

"Well this certainly has been an eventful and interesting day." Jihibiki said with a chuckle as he shuffled over to the wall and sat down in a chair.

"Yeah, too eventful." Shikamaru complained with a sigh as he sat down on one of the hospital beds.

Choji gave a smile and nod in agreement while Shino adjusted his sunglasses. After a moment, Shino turned and looked at the couple. "If I may ask, who are you? I know nothing about you and Naruto hasn't spoken of you."

"You mean you haven't talked about us at all Naruto?" Jihibiki asked in mock surprise. "I'm so hurt!" The old man wiped away an invisible tear which caused Naruto to shake his head and Renge to roll her eyes.

"My name is Renge," the old redhead said. "And this six year old child here," she said jerking her thumb at the man next to her, "is my husband Jihibiki."

"No last name?" Neji inquired suspiciously. He found it odd that the old couple still had not truly revealed their real identities. "Surely two highly skilled shinobi like yourselves come from a well known clan."

Renge looked over at her husband who seemed to be thinking. After a moment he looked at her and shrugged. "Well, might as well tell them." he said.

Renge sighed and shook her head slightly; she knew that they were going to be in for a world of questions. "Jihibiki and I come from the late-"

"-Neji! Neji where are you?!"

Everyone turned to see Ino come sprinting through the doorway. Skidding to a halt in front of Neji, she unceremoniously grabbed him by the front of his robes and started to drag him from the room at a full out sprint.

"Ino what is the meaning of this?!" Neji shouted as he disappeared from the room with the platinum blonde.

"No time to explain, hurry!" she said as she lead him down the hallway.

Everyone in the room just stared at the place where Neji had been standing just a second ago.

"Man, could this day have any more surprises?" Shikamaru whined as he plopped back on the hospital bed.

"I hope everything is alright." Choji said somewhat worried.

"I'm sure everything is." Shino said before he turned his attention back to Renge. "You were saying?"

Once again the conversation was cut short as a nurse appeared rolling a hospital bed into the room and on it was Hinata covered in bandages. After situating her directly across from Naruto, the nurse locked the wheels in place and looked at the group but her attention was mostly on Naruto.

"Hinata-san is going to be fine, she just needs her rest. She will probably awake in a little bit." The nurse said with a small smile. She gave a brief bow and then exited the room.

Just as the nurse was leaving the room a brown blur raced by her and came to a screeching halt by Hinata. Everyone in the room had to blink a few times to realize what had just happened; by the time they did Hanabi was already holding her sister's hand while tears ran down her cheeks. Shino walked over to the little Hyuuga and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"She's going to be just fine Hanabi." Shino said quietly.

Hanabi nodded silently and then suddenly released her sister's hand and hugged Shino around the waist.

"Thank you for saving nee-chan." She said as she buried her head in his jacket.

Shino smiled ever so slightly behind his hood. "You're welcome Hanabi-chan, but I'm not the one you should be thanking."

Hanabi looked up teary-eyed with confusion written on her face. Shino rubbed her head a little and then motioned to Naruto with a nod. Hanabi's eyes widened when she saw Naruto wrapped in bandages as well sitting in a hospital bed across from her. Naruto gave her a toothy smile and the next thing he knew the air was knocked out of him as he was slammed backwards. Lights flashed before his eyes as pain seared through his body. He wanted to tell her to get off but his jaw had locked up from the amount of pain that had just coursed through him.

"Thank you Naruto-kun! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she cried as she buried her head into his chest.

Naruto finally managed to get his muscle control back and he gently rubbed her back as he returned the hug. "Don't mention it Hanabi." he said with a smile. "I would do anything for your sister."

Hanabi released Naruto from her bone crushing hug and looked at him with a teary smile. However it quickly ended when they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat. Looking towards the door the tension in the room immediately tripled when they saw Hiashi standing there with a very displeased look on his face.

* * *

><p>Neji found himself being led down a few random white washed hallways until they reached a pair of double doors that had a red and green light above them. At the moment, the red light was on.<p>

"Ino, what's going on?" Neji asked confused as to why Ino needed him.

Ino pushed the door open and drug him inside while speaking. "A girl has just been admitted into the E.R. She has a large puncture wound to the chest and has lost a large amount of blood."

"How does this concern me?" Neji asked as he was pulled past nurses and doctors as they scurried around looking for random items.

They came to a stop at a table and Neji felt his body freeze and his breath catch in his throat. Lying on the table was a red headed girl covered in blood and breathing hard. She was awake and her fear-filled eyes darted around the room as if looking for something. Neji had killed in combat. He had killed people in some of the most brutal and painful ways possible. He knew the power he wielded behind the Jyuuken. He had watched as people begged to be saved as they died slowly and it had never bothered him, at least not after he had finally adjusted to the fighting and killing. But Neji was not in combat now and he suddenly found himself frozen to the spot where he stood. He had never seen a person up close who was a bloody mess and dying outside of fighting. It took everything he had to not vomit and he found himself breathing rapidly and his hands become clammy.

"Neji?...Neji?...NEJI!" Ino practically screamed into his ear causing him to jolt back to reality.

"W-What happened to her?" he asked, his voice finding it hard to stay calm.

"We don't know." Ino answered. "Kakashi-sensei found her and brought her here." Doctors scrambled like mad to keep the girl awake and alive. Some were trying to heal the gaping wound in her chest while others were injecting her full of fluids and blood. Ino continued on. "We have to save this girl; it's our top priority at this point."

"Why? Why is she so important?" Neji asked as he continued to stare at the girl.

"Because she may know something about Sasuke." Ino said grimly.

Neji's pale eyes widened as he continued to look on at her, however something in his mind kicked into gear. She was now potentially the enemy, she may have information that could help protect Naruto, and she was no longer just an innocent civilian girl that was dying. "Why do you need me?" he asked, his voice returning to normal. "This is a medical problem, I have no knowledge or experience with such things." His voice had suddenly turned cold and uncaring and Ino took note of it.

"The wound on her chest isn't a problem; we can have that patched up in no time." Ino said. "But her chakra system is failing and we can't figure out why or how to stop it."

Neji wasted no time and quickly activated his Byakugan. He quickly examined her chakra network and found that what Ino said was true. The girl's network was fading slowly, mainly around her upper torso and neck. Within a few minutes she would die from a prolonged lack of chakra flow to her brain. Neji then noticed that her tenketsu points appeared to be closed. Walking up he quickly activated all of the points on her shoulder and neck and the monitor that was hooked up to the girl informed him with a slower steadier beep that she was now stabilized.

Neji deactivated his eyes and looked at Ino. "I take it you can handle it from here?" he asked.

Ino nodded and Neji turned to leave but stopped when the monitor suddenly went berserk again beeping like mad.

"It's happening again!" a doctor called out in panic.

Confused, Neji turned around and activated his eyes again to find that the girl's tenketsu points were shut off once more. _"How? She should be fine now."_ Neji wondered as he touched all her points again and the monitor went back to normal. This time Neji kept his eyes activated and continued to watch. After a few moments the monitor hysterical again, but this time Neji saw it happen.

Neji watched as one by one the points shut down starting in her neck and continuing down to her shoulder. Curious as to what was causing it, Neji started at her shoulder and worked his way up, activating the points slowly. When he reached the last point in her neck he finally noticed what he missed before. The last tenkestsu point only opened half way, sputtered for a few moments like a candle flame in a strong wind, and then shut down causing a chain reaction.

"What's going on Neji?" Ino asked as she continued to work on the girls wound.

"I don't know." Neji replied. "She has one tenketsu point in her neck that refuses to stay open. It's causing a chain reaction that is shutting down other points in her body."

"Can you fix it?" Ino asked frantically.

"I'm trying." Neji answered slightly frustrated. He couldn't understand why it wouldn't stay open. Deactivating his eyes he tried to think. _"Tenketsu points should only be able to become activated or deactivated one way: from an outside source. But there is nothing here that is causing it to deactivate."_ He gritted his teeth as his frustration mounted and the tension in the room grew even more as the girl continued to fade, the monitor constantly reminding them that they were running out of time.

Reaching out, Neji touched the soft pale skin of the red head's neck at the spot where the failing tenketsu point was. As he did this he wiped away some dried blood in the process and was confused when he saw fresh blood seep out. _"A scab? I thought it was just blood splatter from her chest wound."_ He thought confused. Quickly activating his Byakugan again, Neji examined the tenketsu point. _"There's nothing wrong with it. I wonder…"_ Focusing his eyes even more Neji watched as a thin senbon needle slowly appeared in her neck, stuck directly in the center of her tenketsu point.

"Get me a scalpel now." Neji ordered with his hand out. In a flash a doctor had placed one in his hand. Not wasting any time Neji made a small cut in her neck and then placed the scalpel down and held out his hand again. "Forceps." he ordered and just like before they appeared in his hands. Inserting them into the cut and using his eyes to see, Neji quickly grabbed the needle and then pulled it out slowly and carefully. After he was done he quickly activated the point and watched as it sprang to life.

"There, that should do it." Neji sighed in relief. He activated the other chakra points for the last time and watched as her chakra began to flow perfectly throughout her neck and head.

"Thanks Neji," Ino said with a grateful sigh of relief, "we can take it from here."

Neji nodded to her and turned to leave but stopped when he felt something hold him back. Looking down he saw the girl he had just saved was holding onto his wrist weakly while staring at him. Neji couldn't help himself as he felt pulled in by her gaze, their eyes locking and each searching the others' eyes for something. Neji found himself transfixed by her stare and he didn't know why. He silently sent out a pulse of chakra in an attempt to disrupt any genjutsu and was surprised when all that happened was the girl smiling weakly as if she knew what he had just done.

"Thank you…" she whispered quietly, her voice straining from the amount of energy and effort it took.

All Neji could do was nod dumbly as he continued to stare at the red head.

"Ano, Neji? Are you okay?" Ino asked as she put a hand on his shoulder and shocked him back to reality.

"I…I need to go see me cousin." was all Neji said as he slipped his hand from the girls grasp and quickly left the room.

* * *

><p>"Hanabi," Hiashi said emotionlessly, "get away from him and try to act like you are a Hyuuga."<p>

Hanabi lowered her head and walked back to stand next to her father; while this was going on Renge and Jihibiki seemed to be scrutinizing Hiashi, never once breaking their stare on him.

Hiashi noticed the excessive staring but chose to ignore it. Looking at the group he spoke. "I would like a few minutes to speak with Naruto alone. Could you please leave?" Although he asked, it was more of an order.

Shino looked over at Renge. "I supposed we could continue our conversation outside?"

Renge shook her head. "No, I'm sorry but not unless Naruto is with us."

Shino paused for a moment before accepting her answer with a nod and the group started to make their way out the door. However, Hiashi noticed that the old couple had yet to move.

"I would appreciate it if you would take your leave as well." He said politely but sounded more like 'get out'.

Jihibiki gave a short chuckle. "Well you see, I just sat down and this old body of mine just isn't what it used to be. If you don't mind waiting a few minutes I should be up and out of your long and well conditioned pompous hair." He finished his last part with a toothy grin which caused Renge to snicker.

Hiashi's mouth twitched ever so slightly but he chose to ignore the old couple and turned his attention to the blonde who was attempting to suppress his own laugh. Naruto stopped though when he saw that Hiashi was staring at him hard so he returned the gaze.

"Once again your reputation has preceded you. It didn't take you long at all to ignore what I said." Hiashi said rather irritated.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders which he instantly regretted doing due to the intense pain and replied. "Well you see I've got this list of certain types of people I don't listen too: cowards, arrogant pricks, traitors…" as he said this he counted his fingers.

"**Don't forget assholes."** Kyuubi muttered.

"Oh that's right, and assholes." Naruto said as he narrowed his eyes on Hiashi.

Hiashi's mouth tightened and his fists clenched together. Only Naruto could get under his skin this quickly. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe. The tension in the room was getting to an unbearable point and it was not helping his mood any.

"I meant what I said Naruto." Hiashi said lowly as he narrowed his eyes as well. "However, it would be improper of me to not thank you for your actions." Naruto snorted causing his frustration to rise even more but he continued. "So once again I _must _thank you for saving not only my daughter but potentially my clan. And once again I must also-"

"-I swear to kami, Hiashi." Naruto cut in while he gritted his teeth and clenched his bed sheet. "If you say 'apologize for my daughter being a burden' I'm going to get out of this bed, bend you over, and rip out the bamboo pole that's stuck up your ass!"

"I think it's more like a bamboo forest." Jihibiki muttered to himself and in the back of Naruto's mind Kyuubi was rolling in his cell with laughter. **"Nice one kit!" **he finally managed to get out.

Hiashi finally hit his breaking point as he exploded onto Naruto. "Damn it I am the head of the Hyuuga clan! Show some respect!" He yelled as he pointed a demanding finger at Naruto.

Naruto's anger quickly swelled to its breaking point as well and he could feel Kyuubi begin to pace in agitation from his anger. He was so worked up that he started to tear the bed sheet he was clutching onto.

"Well you see Hiashi," Naruto spoke quietly, his voice dripping with venom, "I have this list of types of people I don't show respect to." He held up his hand for emphasis. "Cowards." He lowered his thumb. "Arrogant pricks." He lowered his pinky next. "Traitors." His ring finger went next. "And assholes." He finished while skipping his middle finger and lowering his pointer. The finished product was Naruto letting Hiashi know that he was number one in his book.

Hiashi stood there shaking in rage and glaring as Naruto continued to give him the finger. "Why you worthless, rude, little freak; if you won't give respect then I'll force it from you, you son of a bitch!"

Instantly Hiashi was sent crashing to the ground and Renge stood there waving a stick around. "You can blow hot air all you want Hiashi, but I will not allow you to insult Naruto-kun any longer and I will especially not allow you to insult Kushina-chan!" she shouted angrily.

Hiashi looked on in absolute shock from the ground but it quickly turned to anger. "Just who do you think you are you old hag?!" He demanded.

Hiashi was pounded down even further into the floor as the old weathered red head slapped him across the face with her stick again. "Who am I? WHO am I?! I'm Uzumaki Renge that's who I am!" she shouted she pointed her stick at Hiashi and struck a pose.

Silence. Dead silence. Naruto and Hiashi suddenly became mutes as they stared at Renge in disbelief. Hiashi's jaw hung open as he stared at Renge, and Naruto sat in his bed completely unresponsive to anything. Naruto couldn't move, think, or feel anything. His emotions had gone dead inside of him only to be replaced by one: fear. He feared that he was going to wake up from this dream and be alone once again. He was so shocked by what he had just heard that he felt as if he was in a daze. Then he felt woozy as his heart rate began to increase. Finally the room began to spin and Naruto swayed back in forth as his eyes started to roll into the back of his head. However a sudden and firm hand on Naruto's shoulder brought him out of his fit and he looked up to see Jihibiki standing next to him and looking at him.

"This isn't a dream Naruto." He said seriously. "We wanted to tell you so badly but the time just wasn't right. You had too much going on and it would have distracted you." Naruto nodded dumbly at this as he continued to stare at the old man. Jihibiki smiled toothily. "Naruto allow me to formally introduce ourselves. I am Uzumaki Jihibiki, your great-grandfather, and that," he said as he pointed to his wife, "is Uzumaki Renge, your great-grandmother."

Naruto remained silent as his gaze went from Jihibiki to Renge and then back to Jihibiki. The corners of his mouth twitched up, and then a chuckle escaped his lips as he started to smile. His smile grew even bigger until it was threatening to split the sides of his face and he was laughing uncontrollably. Suddenly reaching out, Naruto grabbed Jihibiki and yanked him down into a massive hug as he started to cry as he laughed. The floodgate of emotions finally burst and Naruto had so many spilling out and going through him that he didn't know what to do. Jihibiki just chuckled as he returned the hug. He looked over at his wife to see that she was still glaring down at a shocked Hiashi.

After another moment of silence Hiashi finally found his voice. "S-Sensei?" Renge nodded at him and his eyes widened even more. "B-But how? I thought you died when the Hidden Whirlpool Village was destroyed?"

Instantly Renge's eyes went misty as she remembered what happened to her once proud and beloved village. "Some of us survived Hiashi-kun." she said. Shaking the memories from her head she turned her attention back to the Hyuuga that was still on the ground staring at her in disbelief. "What happened to you Hiashi? You never used to be like this, you used to be such a happy boy and when I heard you finally married that girl, Keimei, I thought you were finally going to change your clan."

At this point Naruto had finally managed to calm down and was now watching the conversation unfold intently. He saw Hiashi's eyes go distant for a second but in a flash his face went hard again and he stood up abruptly. Brushing himself off and smoothing out his robes Hiashi spoke. "Things happen and people change sensei, that's all you need to know."

Renge was about to speak when the door to the room suddenly burst open and a crazed looking Kakashi and Yamato entered. Their eyes searched the room frantically until they fell on Naruto who was smiling sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh…hey guys, what took you so long?" Naruto asked as he cocked his head to the side.

* * *

><p>Hanabi, Shikamaru, Choji, and Shino all stood around outside the room as they waited for Hiashi to be done speaking with Naruto. When the shouting started Shikamaru couldn't help but smirk.<p>

"Well I guess we should have been expecting this." he said out loud.

Hanabi shook her head. "Only Naruto-kun can make my father this emotional."

Choji smiled slightly and Shino adjusted his glasses but when they heard something crash to the ground and more yelling followed by silence they all became slightly concerned.

"Do you think we should check on them?" Hanabi asked worried.

"Nah let them go. It'd be too much effort to try and check on them when they're like this." Shikamaru said.

"He's right." Shino said. "Let them figure this out on their own."

"Figure what out?"

All of them turned to see Neji walking back towards them. Hanabi ran over to him and gave him a hug which caused him to smile a little before he returned it. Public displays of affection and emotions were something Neji usually didn't do but with Hanabi he didn't really mind, she was like the little sister he never had.

"Father is in there talking with Naruto-kun right now." Hanabi said after she broke away from Neji.

Neji's face went from kind and warm to hard and cold in an instant. "I'll be right back." he said as he walked for the door.

"Neji-nii, father asked for those two to be alone while they talked." Hanabi warned.

"Trust me Hanabi, this concerns me as well." Neji said somewhat darkly as he reached the door.

He was about to enter when he heard someone shout, "Out of the way!" and was shoved to the side as two blurs burst through the door. When Neji finally regained his bearings he saw that the two blurs were actually a frazzled looking Kakashi and Yamato. Confused as to what was happening, Neji was about to enter behind them when Yamato suddenly turned around and closed the door. Neji's face was one of irritation as his eyes narrowed.

"What the hell is going on?" he asked no one in particular.

* * *

><p>Yamato was still sputtering over Naruto's question about travel time, so Kakashi decided to take the lead.<p>

"Explain." he ordered as he looked at Naruto with his one eye.

Naruto sighed. "Man this is going to take forever."

For the next twenty minutes Naruto explained everything up until the point of Hinata's outburst. He explained who Jihibiki and Renge were, which took both his sensei some time to get over, and how they helped him. He explained how the seal on Hinata was faulty and how they came up with a backup plan should anything happen while Naruto was gone.

"So you're saying that when you disappeared you were actually summoned by Jihibiki?" Yamato asked. They had decided to keep the confrontation with Madara to themselves for now until they could find out more information. Naruto nodded in confirmation and Yamato put a hand to his head before sliding down into a seat. "Kami, we got lucky." He paused for a moment before muttering to himself. "I need a good soaking in a hot bath."

Kakashi rolled his one eye and Jihibiki chuckled.

"So since you were summoned then I guess that means something happened with Hinata?" Kakashi asked as his eye fell on the bandaged and still sleeping princess.

"Hai. And it got pretty nasty too." Naruto answered. "It put me, Tenten, and Lee in the hospital if that says anything."

"And she kicked Hiashi-kun's ass." Renge replied with a smirk.

Hiashi scowled at this and turned to Naruto. "The doctors informed me that all of your demon chakra is out of my daughter. Is that true and how?"

Naruto's anger spiked slightly at Hiashi calling it _his_ demon chakra. **"Well in a sense it is."** Kyuubi said in the back of his mind. _"Not now fur ball."_ Naruto shot back. Kyuubi sighed in annoyance**. "Not now, not now, it's always 'not now' with you."**

Naruto ignored this and answered Hiashi. "I released the seal on Hinata and used another seal to absorb the demonic chakra." As he said this Naruto reached over and picked up a scroll that was sitting on a table next to his bed. Tossing it to Hiashi he continued. "That scroll contains the chakra that was in Hinata. When the seal was released I used a modified version of a vacuum seal to suck it up. Don't worry, your daughter is _clean_ now." he spat.

Hiashi nodded before stuffing the scroll in his robe. "Glad to see you can clean up your own messes. I'll take my leave now."

He turned for the door but stopped when Naruto spoke. "I just have one quick question for you Hiashi."

Hiashi turned back and looked at Naruto. "And what, pray tell, would that be?"

"You and the elders are close, right? You agree on everything?" Naruto asked. Kakashi and Yamato were confused by this question but Renge and Jihibiki seemed to know where Naruto was going with it and were curious about the clan head's answer.

"Not that it's any of your concern, but yes, we see eye to eye on everything." Hiashi said coldly and then added. "So don't expect them to see you any differently." With that he turned to leave again but found his path blocked by an angry Kakashi.

"That's not exactly how you talk to someone that risked their life for your daughter." Kakashi said lowly.

"It's okay Kakashi-sensei let him go, I'm done talking to this piece of trash." Naruto said as you glared at Hiashi. Kakashi moved aside and let him pass but as he reached the door Naruto spoke one more time. "Hiashi, could you do me a favor?"

Hiashi paused and turned to look at the blonde ninja. "_Anything_ for the hero of Konoha." he said sarcastically.

"Please tell your clan elders that as soon as I'm out of the hospital I will be coming to visit you and them very soon." Naruto's voice suddenly radiated killer intent and the room itself dropped several degrees. Out in the hallway the others could feel it as well and Hanabi shivered.

"Are you threatening me?" Hiashi asked, his own voice becoming dangerous.

"Of course not." Naruto said as his eyes pierced into Hiashi's. "I'm just promising punishment to those that threatened Hinata-chan. To think that her own father would try to have her killed, you really don't deserve your family." The last part of what Naruto said was dripping with venom.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Hiashi roared as his Byakugan flared to life and he started towards Naruto. Naruto, not to be one out done, jumped out of bed despite the protests of his body parts and met him half way. "You think I would try to kill my own daughter?!" Hiashi continued in his rage.

"Think? I _know_ you cold hearted bastard!" Naruto yelled back, both of them inches away from each other's faces. "I know that you and the elders tried to have Hinata killed the other day! I heard the order given to the ANBU."

"You honestly think that I would give that order?" Hiashi asked incredulously.

"Oh _my_ bad." Naruto said sarcastically while rolling his eyes. "Because in the past you have been the perfect example of what a father should be."

Hiashi lost it completely. "Accuse me of one more thing and I'll end your pathetic life!" he roared as he grabbed Naruto by the shirt and raised his palm.

"Bring it on you worthless piece of trash!" Naruto yelled back as he grabbed Hiashi's robe and raised his own fist.

"BOTH OF YOU, THAT'S ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned to see Neji standing in the room looking furious. He had slipped in unnoticed when Hiashi and Naruto were arguing and had heard the entire thing unfold.

"You're speaking out of place Neji, do you forget who you are?" Hiashi asked as he let go of Naruto and turned to look at his nephew.

"I know exactly who I am uncle." Neji said meeting his eyes. "Now tell Naruto the truth."

"It is none of his concern, he is not a Hyuuga." Hiashi said evenly. He had suddenly gone from angry to evasive in the blink of an eye.

"IT IS EVERY BIT OF HIS CONCERN!" Neji shouted angrily. Everyone was shocked that Neji was speaking to Hiashi in such a way and yet Hiashi had done nothing about it. "Tell Naruto the truth," Neji said calmer this time, "or I will tell him."

"You will do no such thing Neji." Hiashi said with as much authority as he could muster. "If you do I will-"

"-What?" Neji asked with genuine curiosity. "Use the seal on me?" A hushed silence of dread followed quickly.

Hiashi clenched his hands together tightly. "He doesn't need to know." he said again. Neji moved his hands up to his headband. "It's a Hyuuga matter, let us deal with it!" Hiashi shouted. Neji moved his hands to the back of his headband and placed them on the knot. "Damn it Neji, it will make us look weak!" Hiashi shouted in desperation.

"No uncle." Neji said slowly. "Not asking for help from those who care is weak." In one fluid motion he undid the knot and his headband fell to the ground revealing his forehead.

Everyone gasped at what they saw and looked to Hiashi for an answer.

"Where is the seal Hiashi?" Kakashi asked as his eye narrowed.

Hiashi stood there with his head down gritting his teeth. A gentle hand on his caused him to look over and see Renge staring at him intently.

"Hiashi-kun, what happened?" she asked full of genuine concern.

Sighing heavily, Hiashi's shoulders sagged deeply as he walked over to the chair next to his daughter and sat down. His gaze wandered over to Hinata who was still unconscious and he found himself unable to look away.

"She's so much like her mother." he said softly. He put a hand out and brushed her cheek gently.

Everyone never expected to see this and decided that it was time to get comfortable. Naruto limped back to his bed while Kakashi and Jihibiki leaned up against the wall. Renge hobbled over to Hiashi's side and he continued.

"It all began when Keimei died." Hiashi said as he started his story. "We were so happy together, always laughing and smiling. We may have not shown it in public but at the compound everyone knew how much we were in love. I was a different man then, always challenging the elders and questioning their advice. I wanted what was best for the clan not just the main household." Hiashi stopped and looked briefly at Neji before continuing. "I was at such a loss when Keimei died. The love of my life was gone forever leaving me alone to somehow raise my two daughters by myself." He closed his eyes as the painfully memories flooded his mind. "I was an emotional wreck and the elders became wary of whether or not I would be fit to lead the clan. I told them to piss off and give me some time to find myself." Everyone listened intently and Naruto even smirked as he imagined hearing Hiashi tell the elders off. "There was another clan member by the name of Gourzi that wanted Keimei for his own. We both courted her and in the end I came out on top. When Gourzi lost Keimei to me he became bitter and angry." Suddenly Hiashi's face hardened. "One day I overheard him talking to someone else. He said that he was glad that Keimei died, that if he couldn't have her then I shouldn't either. I lost it; I completely snapped and attacked him. I wanted his blood and I would have killed him if I had not been pulled away by some branch members." Everyone listened on intently. No one expected to hear this from the clan head. "The elders told me that I was close to losing my position for my outburst, but because of my wife and children they would forgive me this time." Hiashi sighed and he closed his eyes and was quiet for a moment before he continued. "Just when I thought everything was going to get back to normal the kidnapping happened." Everyone turned and looked at Hinata. Everyone had heard the story, but no one had heard it from Hiashi's point of view. "I killed the bastard that tried to take my Hinata away from me in anger and because of that I lost my twin brother for it. I felt so ashamed of what I had done that I had to make up for it somehow. So shortly after my brother was executed I took Neji and removed the seal from him in secret." Everyone looked at Neji who was frowning. He didn't remember Hiashi removing the seal but it sounded familiar. Hiashi noticed this and asked. "You don't remember do you?"

Neji shook his head. "No, it sounds familiar though like somewhere in the back of my mind I know it's the truth."

Hiashi nodded his head. "That's one of the side effects from being sealed at an older age." Everyone looked at him in confusion including Neji and he continued on. "Sealing someone with the Caged Bird seal causes amnesia. The older the person is when they receive it, the worse the amnesia is. That's why you don't remember Neji, and, quite frankly, I'm glad you don't." Hiashi received more confused looks and he sighed. "As soon as I had removed the seal from Neji the elders stormed into the room led by Gourzi. They told me that I was acting irresponsible and was threatening the entire clan by removing the seal on a branch member. They took Neji from me and placed the seal back on him right there." He looked at Neji again. "I'll never be able to forget the screams I heard as you cried out for your father to save you." Tears now were forming in Hiashi's eyes. "The elders told me if I screwed up again then they would remove me from my position and have me branded with the seal. As further insurance they said Hinata and Hanabi would be sold away to the highest bidder as a slave, wife, or concubine after their eyes had been removed and that Neji would be executed as well."

"They can't do that can they?!" Naruto asked amazed at what he had heard. "You're the clan head; your power beats everyone right?"

Hiashi shook his head. "That's why we have the elders, to ensure that the clan head never becomes too power hungry. We have bylaws to protect the clan from clan heads that abuse their power. However, in my case it was the other way around. The elders wanted the power where I wanted to give freedom back to our clansmen. They saw me as weak and they wanted to keep the power. They thought they would be reduced to nothing if I started freeing the branch members. So they threatened me through my daughters and Neji. I didn't want to lose my position and I was terrified to lose the only family I had left so I became indifferent, cold, heartless…I didn't know how else to get the elders off my back. I began agree with them more and in time we saw eye to eye. But I could never just abandon my children completely." Hiashi turned his head and looked over at Naruto. "So when Jiraiya came back with you after your three years of training I asked him to secretly remove the seal again from Neji and as far as I know they never found out."

Neji nodded his head. "No one ever did. Not even my teammates know."

"Then why did the elders order Hinata to be killed?" Naruto asked confused.

Hiashi sighed. "The meeting that I left abruptly when Hinata was first put in the hospital was with a very wealthy man from the Land of Vegetables. I was there to arrange a wedding between Hinata and the man's son."

"Nani?!" Naruto and Neji shouted at the same time.

"She's too young to be getting married!" Naruto yelled waving his hands.

"You never told me that was the reason you went there uncle." Neji said somewhat angry.

Everyone else stared at Hiashi in disbelief until Renge came to his rescue. "You were never going to go through with the plans were you." she said as she looked at him knowingly.

Hiashi shook his head. "I was never actually going to go through with it, but I told the man and the elders that I would think about it. So when I left suddenly to come back to see my daughter I managed to step on everyone's toes. The man complained to the elders saying that he had never been given so much disrespect in his life and that he would never consider another marriage from the Hyuugas again. In turn the elders became furious that they missed out on an opportunity to increase their wealthy and spread their power and influence."

"They act as if Hinata and everyone else in their clan is a pawn. Like they can use anyone however they want." Naruto said angrily as he clutched his sheets.

Hiashi nodded to this. "They do. However, it didn't stop there."

"What do you mean?" Yamato asked.

Once again Hiashi looked at Naruto. "It didn't go unnoticed when you and my daughter started spending more time together. The elders were already furious that Hinata had to go on missions with you and the idea that you two were spending time together while not on missions only made them more upset." Naruto looked down as he realized that he had potentially put Hiashi and his family in harm's way. Hiashi continued, "The elders demanded that Hinata stay away from Naruto because 'the demon' as they put it would soil her mind and make her useless for anything, especially marriage. When I reminded them that Naruto was the one that saved the village they responded that it was his fault the village was attacked in the first place. Furthermore, they went on to say that Naruto lost control of the Kyuubi and it almost escaped." Naruto continued to look down and mentally kicked himself over and over for what had happened that day.

Hiashi turned his attention back to his daughter in the bed and smiled. "Hinata, she was always gentle and quiet, but when someone that she cared for was in trouble she would defend that person with such an intense ferocity…especially you Naruto." Naruto looked up and blushed slightly but remained silent as Hiashi reached the end of his story. "When the elders demanded that I find another suitable match for Hinata to marry I couldn't help but feel inspired by her. So, finding my true self again, I gave them one more act of defiance."

"And what was that act of defiance?" Jihibiki asked with his eyebrow raised.

Hiashi looked over and grinned at Naruto which actually scared the blonde until he heard what came next. "I told the elders that the only person I did approve of was the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village." Everyone's eyes suddenly shifted to Naruto as his jaw hit the bed. "After all," Hiashi continued, "your father and I go way back and I owe the old friend so much."

"NANI!?" Naruto screamed causing nearly everyone to flinch. Naruto's mind went into overdrive as incoherent sentences spewed from his mouth. "You want me to-You knew my-I'm too-How did you know-"

Everyone stared at the blonde as he babbled on like a lunatic. Finally Yamato had enough and with a sigh he stood up, crossed the room, and slapped Naruto upside the head. "There, feel better?" he asked.

Naruto shook his head violently back and forth as he started to wave his hands out in front of him frantically. "I-I c-can't get m-married! I'm t-too young!"

"Would you look at that." Jihibiki said with a mischievous grin. "The boy can fearlessly face a man with the eyes of the Sage of the Six Paths, but the thought of marriage leaves him terrified and speechless."

Everyone began to laugh at Naruto and even Hiashi joined in. However, things turned serious once again as Neji spoke up.

"Uncle." Neji said catching everyone's attention. "It is safe to say that the elders have overstepped their boundaries this time, is it not?" he asked.

Hiashi's face hardened and he nodded. "It is, although they may not like the fact that I refused the wedding arrangement in an improper way I am still the clan head and it is my decision as to whom my daughter will marry. Since I have not broken any bylaws and am in no wrong the elders have overstepped their power and they will pay for it dearly."

With that Hiashi stood up and crossed the room to Naruto. Once he was there he caught everyone off guard when he bowed and spoke. "Please forgive me for the way I have treated you Naruto-san. I know it was wrong and I regret every look and thing I have ever said to you."

Naruto sat there shocked but after a moment he put a hand behind his head and smiled. "Don't worry about it; you were only trying to do what was best for your family."

Hiashi looked up in surprise while everyone else in the room smiled knowingly. It was no secret that Naruto had the biggest heart in the world and could forgive anyone, and once again he had just proven it. Hiashi gave a small bow and said, "Thank you, Naruto, for everything you've done for my daughter and my family."

"Don't mention it." Naruto said with a foxy smile.

Hiashi then cocked his head slightly and smirked. "So about that marriage proposal..." Naruto sudden stiffened and a look of dread filled his eyes. "…I think we can discuss the possibility a few years from now." he finished.

Naruto visibly relaxed and fell back onto his pillow with a very large sigh of relief to which everyone laughed once again at his antics. It was at this point that a soft voice interrupted them all.

"Ano…Is this a dream?"

Everyone turned to see a very sleepy and very confused looking Hinata sitting up in bed. She had just woken up and already her mind was reeling with confusion. _"Father is laughing…next to Naruto-kun who is smiling…Neji-nii no longer has the seal...What the hell is going on?!"_

Hiashi saw his daughter's confusion and smiled before crossing the room to her side. Leaning down he gave her a soft kiss on the top of the head which caused Hinata's eyes to become as large as saucers.

"I'm sure you have many questions." He said to which Hinata nodded dumbly. "Unfortunately I have some very pressing matters to attend to. I'll come visit you soon daughter, I'm sure someone else can fill you in."

Hiashi quickly made his way for the door while saying, "Come Neji, we have much to do." Neji nodded his head and quickly gave Hinata a smile before tying his headband back on and joining his side. The two left the room quickly and Hinata turned to look at everyone else.

"Ano…"

"Well I just remembered I have somewhere to be" Kakashi said as he quickly made his way for the door.

"Actually, I think I need to be there as well sempai." Yamato said almost as quickly and followed Kakashi.

Hinata then turned and looked at Jihibiki who then in turn looked at Renge. "Well I think these old bones need a good soaking in the hot springs." Renge said, borderline frantic, as she motioned for the door.

"Right as always dear." Jihibiki replied happily as he followed his wife.

Hinata then turned to look at the only one now remaining in the room and blushed slightly.

"A-Ano.."

It was at this point Naruto just realized what had just happened. "Wait!" Naruto shouted frantically waving his arms around. "Somebody get back here and explain to Hinata-chan what has happened! Kakashi-sensei!...Yamato-sensei!...Neji!...Jiji! Baa-chan! Someone! Anyone?! NOOOOOOO!"


	14. Embarrassment

**Author's Note: Hey everyone!...Whoa. Okay, put down the torches and pitch forks and let's talk about this…I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this next chapter out but my life has been crazy. It's practically been a month and I'm sorry you had to wait this long for a new chapter. On the bright side though, along with this chapter is an Omake on Hinata's girl night excursion. So it's not a complete loss. Also, I think you will all enjoy this chapter immensely; I had a lot of fun embarrassing Hinata to no end. Poor thing. Anyways, I've made you wait long enough so I'll get these responses out of the way quickly.**

**Bigdogneversleeps: Not trying to play up the sympathy for Hiashi. There's no excuse for what he did, he could have found a better way. I simply just wanted you to understand his reasoning behind it. Glad you liked the ending though!**

**Ookami88: Thank you very much, that means a lot to me. You will be getting plenty of fluff in the next few chapters so sit back and enjoy. As for Sakura, not this chapter but you'll see.**

**Jayley: Hiashi acted that way to protect his daughter, no matter how crazy he needed to seem. If you go back and reread the fight I specifically put in little bits where Hiashi hesitates out of 'confusion' or other feelings. Now that you know how he feels about his daughter you can see the true reason behind his hesitation. **

**Trushadowking: I'm glad you are enjoying this story so much!**

**Liberiangirl21: So much for not writing a review every chapter but hey (shrugs) I'm not gonna complain. I'm so glad you are enjoying this story and I promise it will only get better.**

**As for the rest of you that reviewed, thank you so much. This chapter received the second most reviews so I must be doing something right. Of course, it is really hard to beat chapter 8 and Hinata's attitude. Btw, no one knows that Danzo is dead yet. Here's the next chapter and don't forget that there is an Omake after this so enjoy. And as always let me hear your thoughts!**

**Chapter 14: Embarrassment**

Hinata's blush darkened when the old couple left and the realization hit her that they were the only ones in the room now. She continued to stare at Naruto as he waved his hands around and yelled for someone to come back to explain to her what had happened. _"I'm sharing the same hospital room as Naruto? Oh kami, how am I going to make it through this?!"_ she asked herself desperately.

Naruto finally gave up trying to get someone else to explain the whole ordeal to Hinata so he shifted his attention back to her who was staring at him with a blush.

He grinned sheepishly and put a hand behind his head. "So…I guess you want to know what happened huh?"

Hinata didn't reply, she only continued you to stare at him.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked cocking his head to the side slightly. "Oi, Hinata!"

Hinata continued to stare at him, completely lost in her thoughts. In fact she didn't hear him until he was screaming her name and waving his arms around in the air.

"HELLO? EARTH TO HINATA!" Naruto shouted waving his arms above his head even though it pained him to do so.

Hinata suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and let a small squeak escape her lips. "S-Sorry N-Naruto-kun. I w-was just l-lost in m-my th-thoughts." she practically whispered as her faced darkened slightly more.

Naruto simply waved it off and smiled. "It's okay Hinata-chan; I do that all the time too."

Hinata's eyes practically bulged out of her head as her blush darkened further. "Ch-Ch-Chan?" she asked quietly yet incredulously. She couldn't believe that he had used that ending again.

Naruto's face suddenly became panicked and he put his hands up and started shaking his head. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so informal with you!" he said apologetically. He bowed his head and clasped his hands in front of him. "Please forgive me!" he begged.

"N-Naruto-kun, y-you don't h-have to a-apologize. Y-You d-did nothing w-wrong." Hinata stuttered out quietly, berating herself her constant speech impediment.

Naruto looked up and smiled appreciatively. "Ano…then what should I use? You told me not to use 'sama', you obviously don't want 'chan'…"

At hearing this Hinata mentally cursed herself over and over again. _"Naruto-kun you have no idea how badly I want you to use that…all the time!"_ she was drug from her thoughts as he continued.

"I don't use 'san' for anyone." Naruto said as he rubbed his chin with his hand as he thought hard about what to use. The image he portrayed caused Hinata to giggle quietly. Suddenly Naruto's face lit up. "I've got it!" he yelled happily. "I'll use 'hime'!"

Hinata's face now resembled a tomato and the blush was working feverishly, intent on creeping down her neck to her chest. Nonetheless, she managed to speak but only barely. "P-P-Please d—d-don't c-call m-me h-h-h-hime." she sputtered out as she struggled to keep herself conscious. _"I can't believe he would actually use that for me! For me! The quiet, weird, shy girl!"_

Naruto looked up confused. "Eh? Why? You are one though."

Hinata shook her head causing her to feel slightly woozy. "N-No I'm n-not." she said as she looked down depressed. _"At least I don't feel like one."_ she thought miserably.

Naruto, however, would have none of it. "No, you are Hinata." he said as-a-matter-o-factly as he crossed his arms in front of him and closed his eyes while shaking his head. "You come from the most well-known clan in the fire nation, you're the daughter of the head of the clan, and you're in line to become the clan head." as Naruto said these Hinata smiled slightly.

"J-Just because I-I'm all o-of th-those d-d-doesn't m-make me a p-princess." She said somewhat sadly as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"_Is she joking?"_ Naruto asked as he watched Hinata become depressed. Naruto suddenly became somewhat angry. _"Oh, Hiashi. You and I are going to have to have a talk about your skills as a parent."_ He didn't know much about parenting, but he knew that if he had a daughter he would do everything in his power to make her feel like a princess.

Naruto smiled at her reassuringly which caused her blush to finally reach her chest. "Of course you are Hinata; you fit the description of one perfectly."

"W-W-What d-do y-y-you mean?" Hinata asked thoroughly confused. Not to mention her stutter was becoming worse and worse due to Naruto calling her a princess.

Naruto's smile spread even further. "Trust me, I've met a few princesses in my time spent traveling and you fit the description perfectly. For starters you're humble, graceful no matter what you do, and you always put others first."

Hinata's head seemed to sink with each compliment as she slowly pulled the sheet up to hide her face behind it.

Naruto could see that she wasn't convinced so he continued. "Not to mention you're strong, loyal to your friends, kind, and to top it off you're really pretty!" He suddenly stopped talking as he realized what he had said and light blush dusted his cheeks. This paled in comparison to Hinata, who upon hearing the last description that Naruto had used sat up stiff as a board and stared at him wide-eyed as she clutched her sheets in a death grip.

"_Oh my god! Did he really just call me pretty?! He must be lying, there's no way he thinks I am pretty! But Naruto never lies and he's always honest. Oh god, what do I do? What do I say?!"_ The answer came to Hinata as she heard her own voice speak for her on its own. "…Do…Do you really think I'm pretty?" she asked barely above a whisper. Her voice was so quiet that it could have been lost on a soft breeze had it blown through the room. Her voice sounded alien to her and it almost felt like she was having an out of body experience.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned sheepishly as he continued to blush a little. "Uh yeah, I do think you are pretty Hinata…Um Hinata? Hinata!"

Hinata couldn't take anymore, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell back against her bed unconscious with a small smile on her face.

* * *

><p>The people of Konoha walked about the streets of the village minding their own business. Some were going to visit relatives or friends, some were running errands, and others went about rebuilding the shopping district. In the two weeks since the invasion Konoha had recovered very quickly. Even though the village had been practically erased from the map, the Will of Fire burned deeply in each and every civilian and shinobi and that alone was enough to get the village back on its feet. In the first week of rebuilding the village had seen an influx of outsiders storm the gates, all determined to help the village.<p>

Within two days Gaara had managed to get two convoys worth of stone, concrete, and glass to the gates of the village. He had sent his two siblings to escort the convoy, much to the delight of his sister, Temari, and when asked how they managed to get there so fast Kankoro's eyes glossed over as he muttered something about how his brother had a way with words.

When asked why the Kazekage was so quick aid the Hidden Leaf Village Gaara simply responded with, "I refuse to ignore an ally in need and would never abandon my brother."

Of course, no one question Gaara's orders. Not because they feared him but because they believed they owed so much to the Hidden Leaf and Naruto for helping in the rescue of their kidnapped Kazekage.

The Land of Vegetables sent one convoy of food that arrived at the end of the first week and they were already preparing to send a second one that would arrive at the end of the second week. Haruna, the Daiymo, sent her best wishes to Naruto and wished the Leaf a speedy recovery.

From the Land of Waves arrived, literally, an army of carpenters and masons led by Tazuna and Inari. After they had heard about the destruction of the Leaf Village the two had quickly rallied half of the workers in Wave and marched them to the gates, determined to return the favor to Naruto for saving their country. Somehow, without any collaboration from the Sand Village, Tazuna and Inari along with their workers arrived the day after Gaara's materials arrived allowing them to quickly get to work. And work they did. Tazuna knew that the most important thing for village to have at that point in time was a command center and a hospital. So they immediately started working on the hospital. In less than a day they had the foundation set. After waiting one day they had the first floor complete and the second floor set. They repeated the process until they had three floors complete and a roof over the hospital. All in all it took them five days to have the massive three story hospital up and running with water and electric. To say it was impossible would have been believable, but if one were to actually see the construction of the hospital it would have looked like hundreds of ants scurrying around completing their tasks with precision and efficiency. Not to mention tactically advantages as well.

Whereas before the hospital sat next to the Hokage tower at the base of the Hokage monument, this time Tazuna designed it to actually connect to the monument itself. After talking to several earth affinity ninja, Tazuna had them construct a secret passage that led from the base of the monument where the hospital was being built, up and into the cliff, and exit into the secret bunkers that housed the civilians and young shinobi during an attack. This allowed the hospital to move its patients out of the hospital to safety should it ever fall under attack during an invasion. However, Tazuna didn't stop there. Knowing that the hospital would most likely be targeted quickly in an attack, Tazuna designed the roof to be made of concrete twelve feet thick and reinforced with metal rebar. The reason behind this was because on the first floor in the lobby Tazuna had a master earth user by the name of Hora put a seal on the floor. When activated, the entire hospital would sink down into the ground to the point where only the roof would be shown. To say that Danzo was impressed with the design was an understatement, but of course he never showed it and simply thanked Tazuna for his help.

As soon as the hospital was complete, Tazuna turned his attention to the next Hokage tower. The tower was the same size as last time however the only difference was that it was located directly in front of the hospital as a sort of last line of defense for the sick and wounded. The tower was still in the process of being built but the first floor was already done. However, the simple act of having the building halfway through completion worked miracles on the morale of everyone in the village.

So when two robed men strode through the streets side by side with their pupiless eyes set dead ahead and hard looks on their faces people parted the crowded street and gave them a wide berth for two reasons. The first was because the men looked as if they were ready to kill anyone who so much as looked at them wrong and the second was because they were Hyuugas.

"Uncle, what exactly are you planning to do?" Neji asked without looking.

"I plan on removing the council from power, but I'm afraid I don't have the manpower to do so." Hiashi said evenly but Neji caught the slightest hint of anger in his voice.

Neji continued to look as ahead as the spoke. "The side branch will most certainly help you Uncle, as well as the main branch."

"No." Hiashi said simply causing Neji to glance at him for a split second before returning his gaze to in front of him.

"Care to elaborate as to why?" Neji asked slightly confused.

Hiashi's face hardened. "Because we do not know the full extent of the corruption that plagues our clan and further more I will not risk the branch members' lives if things escalate quickly. I know the council wouldn't hesitate on using the Caged Bird Seal to kill any of the branch members that oppose them."

"So what will we do then?" Neji asked.

"Ask the Hokage to help in the arrest of the council. We need ninja from the outside who are not corrupted with power." Hiashi answered.

"And you think Danzo isn't?" Neji asked incredulously.

"Neji do not scold me as if I were a child." Hiashi said evenly causing Neji to slightly flinch. "I have been around long enough to recognize a corrupt man when I see one, even without the Byakugan. Even though Danzo seems like a power hungry war monger, he still has the Leaf's best interests at heart." Hiashi broke his gaze from in front of him and looked up at the sky as the sun began its slow decent. "He may go about it in the wrong way, but he means well…just like me."

Neji looked over at his uncle in shock. Hiashi simply closed his eyes and a small sad smile crept onto his face.

"So do you think he will help us then?" Neji asked once again.

Hiashi returned his gaze to ahead of him and nodded. "Yes, if there's one thing Danzo hates its weakness. A prestige clan like the Hyuugas cannot afford to be weak, not when we play such an important role in the Leaf's power, and most certainly not now when the Leaf is at the weakest it has ever been. He will help us, if not to fix what is wrong then to at least make the Hyuugas strong again."

Neji nodded his head in understanding and then asked the next question that was eating away at him. "So…what do we do now? The Hokage is away from the village on an important meeting." He was hoping that what Hiashi said next wouldn't be what he didn't want to hear. Unfortunately for Neji it was.

"We wait." Hiashi said through gritted teeth as he stared straight ahead. "We bide our time, lick our wounds, and keep an eye on the traitorous bastards. This isn't over, not by a long shot. Gourzi will try something else I know he will. He isn't the kind of man to accept failure and give up so easily. But until the Hokage returns there's nothing we can do."

They continued on for a few meters in silence before Neji smirked. "Well there is one thing we could do. We could always send Naruto in to take care of the elders." he suggested.

Hiashi allowed a chuckle to escape his lips. "Oh yes I can see it now; Naruto charges in, pummels the elders to or near death, and then leaves. The only thing we would accomplish would be starting a war between the Hyuuga and the Uzumaki clan."

Neji smirked again. "Uzumaki Naruto, the nine tails jinchūriki, master of the sage art, and hero of the Hidden Leaf Village- the one man clan versus the all seeing Hyuugas, both the main and branch families." Neji closed his eyes and shook his head while still smiling. "Even then I think our chances would be slim."

Hiashi actually laughed, scaring even more people that were around them in the process due to his sudden outburst. "I agree, of course we would have to come to some sort of peace agreement to avoid that kind of bloodshed. The only thing that is still acceptable to this day would be an arranged marriage between the clans as a sign of peace."

Neji laughed at this. "Well I don't think Hinata-nee would mind."

"Ah yes, but would Naruto?" Hiashi asked with a smirk. "You saw his face when I suggested it back at the hospital didn't you?"

Both men stopped as they took the time to look at each other before they both suddenly erupted into laughter as the image of Naruto's panicked and frightened face flashed before their eyes. The people around them ran away scared out of their minds and caused a man in his booth next to them to cower behind his counter in fear. Hyuugas never showed any emotion in pubic especially the clan head. So when the two most distinguished male figures of the clan began laughing out of control in public people assumed that they had gone off the deep end.

Hiashi was the first to notice this and getting himself back under control he spoke though he still wore a small smile. "Come Neji, we're making a scene."

Neji nodded his head and they continued on their way to the Hyuuga compound, both enjoying the comic relief that was Naruto and Hinata's ridiculous yet potential relationship.

* * *

><p>Naruto had just managed to get Hinata to wake up and he was attempting to fill her in on what had happened. Suddenly a sneezing fit came over him causing his whole body to shake violently.<p>

"Huh, that's funny; someone I know must be talking about me." Naruto said with a sheepish grin. "I wonder what about?"

As if to answer his question Hinata suddenly found herself in a violent sneezing fit. A blush immediately covered Naruto's face as he thought back to what Hiashi had mentioned. Hinata's blood rushed to her face too fast and she passed out again as her mind was overloaded with the thought of her and Naruto being mentioned in the same conversation. Naruto sighed,_ "This is going to take forever."_ He couldn't help but smirk at Hinata though.

After waiting a few minutes for Hinata to wake up Naruto naturally became impatient. _"Damn it! At this rate I wouldn't get through everything I need to tell her until tomorrow morning! She needs to wake up now, but how to do that?"_

Naruto slipped out of his bed and limped over to where Hinata lay. Looking her over once he tried to find a way to bring the Hyuuga back to consciousness.

"Hey, Hinata." Naruto whispered quietly. When he got no response he decided to up the volume. "Hinata wake up!" Still getting no response he leaned over her and poked her in her cheek a few times. "Hinata? Sheesh, she's out for good!" As if to emphasize the point he up her wrist and then let it flop back down to her side as if it were a sack of potatoes.

"_Now what?"_ Naruto asked himself as he looked around the room. His attention was immediately drawn to the table next to Hinata's bed. There sat an empty glass and a pitcher of ice water. A mischievous fox-like smile quickly spread across his face. He reached over and filled the glass completely full and then turned back to his friend.

"Oh, Hiiinnnaaataaaa! Time to wake up!" Naruto said in almost a sing song as he dumped the contents onto Hinata's face.

The reaction was instant. Hinata bolted up gasping and sputtering for air as her large eyes searched the room in confusion. However, her attention was drawn to the floor next to her bed. There, lying on the floor clutching his sides in pain from laughing too hard was Naruto with an empty glass in hand. Hinata quickly understood what had happened but she couldn't help as the blush returned once again to her face as the embarrassment took over. Naruto noticed this and quickly regained his composure. Standing up he still had a smile on his face but he looked right in her eyes as he spoke.

"Sorry Hinata, but I needed you to wake up. I'd like to finish filling you in before tomorrow afternoon." he teased.

Hinata blushed and looked down somewhat defeated. "S-Sorry N-Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave her a toothy grin and waved it off. "Hey, it's not your fault. You're up now and that's what's important."

Hinata looked back up at him and gave a small smile. Naruto looked back at her and suddenly he found himself caught in her eyes, her large lavender orbs ensnaring him in a daze. Her small smile sucked him in and her eyes trapped him in a trance making him unable to tear his eyes away from her. In the pit of his stomach he felt the strange feeling return stronger than before but he ignored it as he drank in Hinata. They stayed like that for almost a full ten seconds before Hinata suddenly shivered causing her to break eye contact.

Naruto shook his head as a light blush dusted his cheeks and he scratched the back of his head. _"What the hell was that?"_ he wondered. _"I must have looked like an idiot just staring at her like that."_ He gave another smile as he tried to come up with something to say. "Heh, sorry I got you wet Hinata." He apologized.

"_You have no idea how wet you make me Naruto."_ Hinata's eyes suddenly widened. _"No! Not now! Bad Hinata!"_

"I-It's o-okay N-N-Naruto-kun." Hinata stuttered out as she looked away embarrassed. _"I hope we aren't in here together long or else I'm going to go out of my mind!"_

Naruto shrugged and smiled. "Okay, if you…say…..so…"

Hinata noticed Naruto trailing off and looked back at him in confusion. As she turned her head she noticed a large goofy grin spreading across his face, his eyes glassing over, and a thin trail of blood coming out of his nose. To make matters worse, he was staring straight at her.

"N-N-Nar-uto?" Hinata asked as she seemed to sink under his gaze. The only sound Naruto managed to make was a small giggle as the blood trail from his nose got thicker.

Hinata's blush darkened as Naruto continued to stare. Confused as to why Naruto was staring at her she followed his gaze to discover that he was staring at her chest. Multiple revelations hit Hinata at that moment. First, she was no longer in her jacket or shirt for that matter but a very thin hospital gown. Next, the water from the glass had traveled down her face and soaked her gown causing it to cling to her body, more specifically, her well developed chest. Finally, due to the cold water and the thin gown Hinata's nipples had become hard, forming two little mountains on her chest plain as day.

"_Oh my god! He's staring right at my chest!"_ Hinata practically screamed in her head. She wanted to cover herself up, to hide herself underneath the sheets and wish for her comforting and large jacket to magically appear around her. Unfortunately, Hinata found herself immobilized under Naruto's gaze. The worst part; half of Hinata was utterly embarrassed that she was caught in this situation while the other half was happy that she could make Naruto look at her that way. The first half proved to be stronger however and Hinata's blush darkened more and more to the point where she soon found herself woozy from lack of blood to the rest of her body. Luckily, Naruto was soon snapped out of his trance when a walking stick smashed down on top of his head.

"I swear you Uzumaki men are all the same!" Renge shouted as she waved her stick around and Jihibiki cowered behind his wife.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata said abruptly, concerned for the man she loved. She relaxed though when she saw he was okay.

Naruto groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. "W-What happened?"

Jihibiki stepped around his wife and helped Naruto to his feet. "Apparently you were getting a nice peep show." the old man said with a perverted grin as Hinata instinctively pulled the sheet up over her chest in helpless embarrassment.

Suddenly there were two blurs as Renge's stick and Naruto's fist connected with Jihibiki's head and sent him flying into the wall.

"Don't talk about Hinata-chan like that!" they both yelled angrily in unison.

Jihibiki's only response was a whimper as he slid off the wall and conveniently into a chair below him.

Naruto then turned back to Hinata who was blushing furiously and attempting to hide behind her thin bed sheet. Naruto bowed his head in shame as a blush crossed his face as well. "I'm so sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to stare at you like that and I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Can you ever forgive me?" The desperation for forgiveness was almost tangible and Hinata felt so bad for him that she almost leapt out of bed to give him a hug.

"_It's not his fault, he's a guy. I didn't really mind it that much I just hoped he liked what he saw…"_ Hinata's eyes went wide and she quickly shook her head to clear her thoughts. However, in the process of this Naruto misunderstood it for him. Slumping his shoulders, Naruto turned around and started to walk back to his bed.

"_Great job baka, now she hates you for acting like a perv!"_ He didn't know why but it hurt so much having Hinata deny him forgiveness and he couldn't stop the tears from starting to form in his eyes.

"_Baka! Baka, baka, baka!"_ Hinata continuously cursed herself as Naruto turned around. _"Now he thinks that was meant for him because I can't keep my damn hormones in check!"_ She had to do something, anything. She couldn't let her Naruto-kun feel like that.

"Naruto-kun wait!" she practically blurted out. Naruto stopped and looked over his shoulder with tears in his eyes causing Hinata's heart to plummet. "I-It's okay. Y-You d-did nothing w-wrong." she fumbled out as everyone was staring at her now.

"But you just shook your head no." Naruto said confused.

"I-It w-wasn't m-meant for you." Hinata tried to say reassuringly. Naruto, however, didn't appear to buy it so she continued. "I-I was j-just lost in th-thought...again" She squeaked out as she pulled the sheets up under her chin and looked down.

Naruto let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and smiled gratefully. "Thanks hime."

Hinata's eyes widened and her blushed darkened more causing Renge to chuckle.

"Gee, I wish someone would call me that."

Naruto and Hinata both turned to see Hanabi poking her head out from behind Renge.

"Hanabi-chan, how long have you been standing there?" Hinata asked in surprise.

Hanabi crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her sister. "The entire time nee-chan, I came in with Renge-sama and Jihibiki-ero, but you were busy thinking about dirty things and Naruto-kun was too busy staring at your tits for you two to notice."

Naruto blushed and looked at Hinata in surprise, Hinata buried her head in her sheets to hide her face, and Jihibiki let out a cry of dismay at the insult directed towards him.

All was quickly righted though when Renge slapped Hanabi up side her head and scolded her. "Hanabi-chan stop embarrassing your sister, by the looks of it she's had enough to last her for the rest of the year." Hanabi simply rubbed her head and nodded in submission. Renge then continued, "Good, now help your sister change into something more comfortable."

That's when Hinata noticed a sack that Hanabi had around her shoulder and could just make out her jacket sticking out of the top. Hanabi nodded and pulled the curtain around Hinata's bed before setting the sack on the bed and dumping out the contents. Hinata wasted no time in snatching up her jacket and throwing it on over her hospital gown. She then stood up, with the help of Hanabi, and proceeded to take off the gown with the jacket still on. However, as the gown hit the ground Hinata discovered on crucial thing; she had no underwear on and she was now giving Hanabi front row seats to the show.

Hanabi glanced down once, then twice, then three times before impulsively shouting out, "Oh my god you actually shave that?!" Hanabi instantly through her hands over her mouth but the damage was done.

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata hissed in complete and utter horror before quickly grabbing the lavender underwear Hanabi had brought and slipping it on, all the while blushing like crazy out of humiliation.

On the other side of the curtain Renge stood there blushing like mad embarrassed for hearing what Hanabi had just shouted. Naruto's nose bleed had returned full force and Jihibiki joined in as well as an image of Hinata flashed before them.

Hinata finished dressing without as much as looking her sister in the eyes. She couldn't believe that had just happened to her let alone her sister announcing her little personal secret to the world. She zipped up her jacket hastily and collapsed on the bed before pulling the sheet over her and pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them instinctively. _"Why? Why did she have to see that?"_ Hinata asked herself desperately _"What even possessed me to try that?"_ Hinata, however, knew the real reason as to why she had done it. _"Damn that girl's night at Ino's!"_ she cursed to herself mentally. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even hear Hanabi calling her.

"Nee-chan? Nee-chan!" Hanabi whispered as she waved a hand in front of Hinata's face in attempt to get her sister's attention.

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her sister in embarrassment. "S-Sorry Hanabi-chan."

Hanabi blushed and looked down. "Sorry nee-chan, I didn't mean to shout that out."

"I-It's okay H-Hanabi, but c-can we p-please k-keep this between u-us?" Hinata asked as she stuttered in embarrassment from having to talk about a private matter with her sister.

Hanabi nodded and pulled back the curtain to reveal Renge blushing while Naruto and Jihibiki stared off into nothing with nosebleeds and shit eating grins on their faces.

"_Kami…please kill me!"_ Hinata begged as she buried her face in her knees.

* * *

><p>After Hanabi had left and everyone had managed to compose themselves again Renge looked at Jihibiki and gave him a nod.<p>

"Okay Naruto," Jihibiki said standing next to Naruto, "after discussing it with Renge and your senseis we've decided that we're going to take you and Hinata under our wings to train."

Naruto could help but smile a huge toothy grin as the idea of learning and training with his family flooded his mind. _"Now I'll be able to ask them all of the questions I have about my family!"_ His face brightened even more when he thought about training with Hinata and he suddenly felt the strange feeling return to his stomach.

Hinata, on the other hand, was still trying to process what she had just heard. _"Train? With Naruto-kun? This must be a dream."_ she thought as she pinched herself to double check. When she realized that it was real she couldn't help but allow a radiant smile to shine on her face. However, it was short lived when she thought of her father.

"Ano…h-have you s-spoken with my father?" She asked hesitantly.

Renge smiled warmly at her as she walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry sweetie, you're father won't mind. After all, something tells me you'll need this training."

The last statement confused Hinata and she couldn't help but show it on her face as she looked at the smiling old Uzumaki. Renge's attention was quickly drawn to her great-grandson, however, due to the fact that he was practically bouncing up in down in excitement.

"When will we start training?" Naruto asked excitedly as he looked back and forth from Jihibiki to Renge.

Jihibiki simply chuckled at the blonde's enthusiasm. "We'll start as soon as you're released from the hospital."

Naruto was about to speak when he realized something. "What about Hinata-hime? I know I'll be released before her." Hinata blushed at being called a princess again but Renge saved her.

"Jihibiki will be training you and I will be training Hinata-_hime_." The emphasis caused Hinata to blush further as she ducked her head behind her knees. "Once I feel that you two are prepared I will have you two train together."

"What do you mean 'prepared'?" Naruto asked confused. "Hinata is already really strong, I don't even know if I would be able to beat her in a fight if I couldn't use Sage mode."

"D-Don't say th-things th-that aren't t-t-true Naruto-kun." Hinata mumbled as she hid her face even more behind her knees and her blush darkened.

"_We're really gonna have to work on her confidence."_ Renge thought as she watched Hinata. "Actually Naruto, you and Hinata are on two completely different levels as of right now."

"What do you mean Renge-sama?" Hinata asked quietly.

"I mean that while Naruto-kun is very strong and a very capable fighter, he lacks any kind of control over his chakra." Renge answered.

"Yeah but that's because I have such a large chakra pool." Naruto defended as he crossed his arms.

"No excuse!" Renge snapped at him as she pointed her walking stick at him. "If your mother could master excellent chakra control, then so can you. However, that's not what you will be working on, at least not at first."

Naruto seemed to freeze at the mention of his mother but he nodded his head as he accepted what she had said. "Then what will I be working on first?" he asked.

"You'll be working with me to master Fuinjutsu." Jihibiki said as he stepped into the conversation.

"Really?! That's awesome!" Naruto shouted in excitement.

"Yes, yes it is." Jihibiki muttered as he attempted to regain hearing in ear.

Naruto then looked at Renge suspiciously. "What about Hinata?"

Renge sighed heavily. "She will be working with me to re-master her chakra control."

"Nani?" Naruto and Hinata shouted at the same time.

"Obaa-chan, Hinata has perfect chakra control! What are you talking about?"

"I must agree with Naruto-kun, Renge-sama." Hinata said softly. "While I do not like to brag, my chakra control is nearly perfect."

Renge looked at Hinata for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket. "I figured you'd say something like that. Would you please go ahead and demonstrate your chakra control by making the paper stick to your hand?"

Hinata looked at the old woman questioningly before taking the paper from her and placing it on her open palm facing up. Channeling some chakra into her hand, Hinata then rotated her palm down and watched as the paper slipped away from her hand and fell onto her bed. Hinata's eyes went wide for a moment before she looked at Renge and then back at the paper. Quickly she picked up the paper and tried it again only for the same thing to happen.

"Hinata…what's wrong?" Naruto asked concerned for the bluenette.

"I-I don't k-know." Hinata whispered back as she continued to stare at the paper.

"That would be the after-effects of having the Kyuubi's chakra forced into your chakra coils." Renge said as she looked down at a stunned Hinata.

"I don't understand." Hinata said as she continued to stare at the paper. She couldn't help but feel like a failure.

Renge sighed as she sat down on the bed next to Hinata and began to speak. "When Naruto-kun forced the Kyuubi's chakra directly into your coils it caused them to expand rapidly, greatly increasing your reserves. While this did have a positive effect on you, there was also a down side to this." Hinata looked up at her in surprise and Naruto cocked his head in confusion. Renge continued, "Because your reserves expanded so large at such a rapid rate, your chakra control deteriorated."

"But how is that possible?" Hinata asked. "I was able to perform my Twin Lion Fists and that demands the best chakra control."

Renge smiled at her. "The only reason you were capable of performing that technique was because you had such a large chakra pool. If you didn't then you would have never been able to perform your technique. You had to push your body and chakra so hard to compensate for your lack of control."

"Is that even possible?" Hinata asked breathlessly as she tried to absorb all the new information.

"Hai, it is." Jihibiki said from next to Naruto's bed. "It's just like if Naruto here would want to perform a genjutsu. He says he can't do them, but the truth is he could if he really wanted to. However, even the simplest genjutsu would leave him exhausted because of his lack of control and his over use of chakra."

Naruto and Hinata looked at each other for a moment before Naruto lowered his head.

"So…this is all my fault…" Naruto said as he clenched his bed sheet.

"It's o-okay Naruto-kun." Hinata said quietly. "Y-You saved m-my life and th-that's what is i-important. I c-can always train."

"She's right Naruto." Jihibiki said. "What's done is done and we should all be thankful that everyone made it out alive."

Naruto was quiet for a moment but he then nodded his head. Everyone knew that he wouldn't let it go and that he would beat himself up over it. However, mostly likely Naruto would just use it to fuel himself to become better.

Jihibiki walked over to his wife and they looked at the two shinobi.

"We'll start your training as soon as you are both released from the hospital." Renge said as she got up and walked towards the door with Jihibiki. "Naruto, your training will start first since you will most likely be out first. You'll be with Jihibiki for the time being until I decide Hinata is ready to train with you."

"You got it Obaa-chan; I'm looking forward to it!" Naruto said as he flashed a smile at her. He then shifted his attention to Hinata. "I'm sorry that I caused all this Hinata, but I'll help you train until you're unstoppable and that's a promise!"

Hinata blushed as she gave him a small smile. "I-It's n-not your f-fault Naruto-kun, b-but thank y-you that m-means a lot."

"We'll check on you later, till then make sure you rest up." Jihibiki said as he closed the door behind him as they left the room.

Hinata watched the old couple leave and then started to blush when she realized that it was just her and Naruto in the room again. _"What should I say? I could always ask him to finish filling me in."_ Hinata looked over towards Naruto and nearly fell over. _"I guess he took what they said literally."_

Naruto was snoring loudly in his bed completely oblivious to the rest of the world. A thin line of drool hung from his mouth as he slept away peacefully.

"_I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow."_ She thought with a small smile. "Oh Naruto-kun, what am I going to do with you?" Hinata asked herself with a giggle.


	15. Omake 1

**Author's Note: Here you go, Hinata's not so innocent girl's night. This is completely unrelated to the story but for those of you that read the previous chapter and thought "What the hell happened?!" Well, this explains it. Hope you enjoy it and get a laugh!**

**Omake 1: Girl's Night**

"_Damn that girl's night at Ino's!"_

**One Month Ago**

"Okay, okay. What's next on the list?" Tenten asked as she managed to get her laughing under control.

Ino suppressed another giggle and looked at the magazine article. "Hmm, let's see here. It says here that to make your breasts look bigger use a pushup bra to make them look perkier and add more cleavage. For a larger but more natural look try water, foam, or air padded bras."

"Well Hinata definitely doesn't need to worry about that." Tenten muttered causing Ino and Sakura to burst into laughter again and Hinata to blush in embarrassment.

"They're not _that_ big Tenten." Hinata said quietly as she wrapped her hands around her chest.

"Oh please!" Sakura said jumping in. "What are they? Thirty-two, thirty-three D's?"

"…Thirty-six D." Hinata said as she lowered her head in defeat.

"DAMN GIRL!" Ino shouted causing everyone else to laugh but the Hyuuga heiress.

"Sh-Shut up Ino!" Hinata shouted wrapping her arms tighter around herself.

"Oh come on Hinata, other than Tsunade-sama you're like the most gifted kunoichi in the village." Sakura said exasperatedly.

"Yeah, now lemme see them!" Ino said with a small evil grin.

"W-Wha?!" Hinata said as she looked up in wide-eyed horror.

Before she could move Ino tackled her to the ground all the while laughing evilly.

"Let's see those beauties!" She shouted as she started to unzip Hinata's jacket.

"S-Stop it Ino!" Hinata stuttered out as she fought to keep her jacket zipped up.

"Come on guys give me a hand here." Ino said over her shoulder.

Sakura and Tenten took one look at each other before diving on top of Hinata as well laughing and screaming. Each wrestling a wrist into their control, Ino was finally freed up to unzip Hinata's jacket. After she had done so, all the girls gasped as they admired Hinata's very well endowed chest which seemed to press tightly against her dark blue shirt.

"Damn you weren't kidding!" Ino said after a moment. "And they're so perky for their size!" As she said this she poked Hinata in the chest a few times.

"Get off Ino!" Hinata shouted desperately as she managed to struggle out of Tenten and Sakura's grip.

"Okay, okay." Ino said as she got up and waved Hinata off.

Hinata knew that her friends were giving her a compliment despite the hard time, but she

still pouted nonetheless as she zipped her jacket back up and crossed her arms. Ino walked back over to the couch and picked up the magazine before plopping down.

"Let's see if we can't find something for Hinata in here then." Ino said with a smirk as she continued to read down the list. After a moment she gasped as a slight blush appeared on her cheeks. The others looked at each other in uncertainty, if it managed to make Ino blush then it was definitely racy.

"I never thought of that." Ino practically whispered to herself as she raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"What does it say Ino?" Sakura asked.

There was a moment of silence as the anticipation grew before Ino spoke. "This tip goes for any woman trying to impress her man and give him a surprise in bed. Try shaving your pubic hair around your 'downstairs' for a smoother and sexier look and feel."

Silence fell upon the girls as they all sat there processing what they had heard, each sporting a blush. _"A smoother and sexier look and feel?"_ Hinata thought as she tried to picture herself actually doing that. _"I wonder what Naruto-kun would think about it?"_ Suddenly Hinata's face flushed an even brighter red as she thought of the circumstances that would involve him seeing her like that. Unfortunately for Hinata it didn't go unnoticed.

"Well someone seems to be enjoying the idea." Tenten said with a sly smirk.

Hinata snapped out of her daze and looked up blushing like mad. "W-What are y-you talking about?"

"And there's the stutter, which can only mean one thing." Sakura said as she smiled knowingly as well.

Hinata shook her head violently as her blush grew even darker.

"Thinking about Naruto again Hinata?" Ino asked raising her eyebrows. "And judging by the blush I would venture a guess to say it wasn't innocent."

Hinata's eyes widened at being caught causing all the girls to laugh hysterically.

"Th-That's n-not what I w-was thinking a-about!" Hinata practically shouted as she waved her hands in front of herself.

"Then what were you thinking about?" Tenten asked curious.

Hinata stopped as she found herself at a loss of words. Her inability to answer the girls only fueled them on more.

Suddenly Sakura stopped laughing and looked at the rest of them with a sly smile. "What do you say we try it out?"

Tenten blushed, Hinata practically fainted, and Ino just smiled smugly.

"Who says I haven't already?" Ino asked.

Hinata looked at Ino in shock. "Y-You have?"

Ino was about to answer when a pillow hit her in the face.

"You just said you never would have thought of it! But if you had then I would have to say I always knew you were a slut." Sakura said in mock accusation.

"Well maybe I will now, I have to look and feel my best billboard brows." Ino said angrily.

Now it was Sakura's turn to get angry. "I look ten times better than you Ino-pig!"

"Fine!" Ino said standing up and looking at the rest of them. "How about a little beauty pageant then?"

"Fine, I'm in." Sakura said standing up.

"Count me in as well." Tenten said standing up too.

"A-Ano…I'll pass." Hinata said as she clutched onto a pillow and held it in front of her.

"Oh no you don't, you definitely have no say in this matter." Ino said as she grabbed Hinata and started dragging her out the door.

"Where are we going?" Tenten asked curiously as the other two followed.

"To the bath house." Ino answered with a smirk as they walked across the Yamanaka compound.

"The bath house? Why?" Sakura asked becoming increasingly worried.

"Because this pageant has special rules." Ino answered.

"Special rules?" Tenten asked warily as they entered the bath house.

"Yes, special rules." Ino said as they entered the woman's changing area and she closed and locked the door behind them. It was a large spacious area with benches on one side, a bar on the opposite wall, and between them a section of stalls for changing. "Well, more like just one special rule."

"W-What is it?" Hinata asked afraid of the answer.

Ino ignored the question and walked over to the bar that was on the side of the changing room. Opening up a cupboard, she pulled out four glasses and a bottle of what looked like very old sake. Pouring the glasses half way full, Ino carried them over on a small platter and passed them around to the girls.

"I propose a toast." Ino said raising her glass in the air and the others following suit. "To sticking together no matter what and achieving our dreams."

The others smiled at each other before clinking their glasses together and bringing the glasses to their lips. Everyone but Ino hesitated for a moment before swallowing the liquid. It wasn't that they never drank or that they weren't allowed too, it was quite the opposite actually. Whenever they had sleepovers they usually had a few glasses of something and age was never a problem. They were shinobi and therefore adults; old enough to kill, old enough to drink. What caused them to hesitate was that they felt like Ino was building them up for something. History had definitely proven that with the platinum blonde. They all coughed a little as the sake burned their throats on the way down.

"Kami Ino, how old is this?" Sakura asked as she patted her chest a little.

Ino shrugged. "Dunno, I think my parents got this as a wedding gift." Sakura was about to say something when Ino cut her off. "Okay on to the rule of this little contest."

The girls exchanged looks. "Only one rule?" Sakura asked warily.

Ino stood there with a smile on her face and a hand on her hip. "You got it. The one and only rule is…no clothes."

"WHAT?!" the other three shouted in unison.

Ino laughed maniacally. "What? We're friends and all women. It's not like we haven't seen each other naked before at the hot springs."

"This is different though." Tenten said slightly unsure.

"Oh come on, we have nothing to be ashamed of!" Ino said exasperatedly as she threw her hands in the air.

Hinata had instinctively crossed her arms in front of her chest. She didn't really want her friends judging her; she got enough of that from her father at home. Besides that, she would be naked and being judged for her physical appearance. If there was one thing she was not comfortable with it was her body. She came out of her thoughts to hear Sakura and Ino arguing.

"Oh come one Sakura, stop being such a baby! Tenten said she'd do it." Ino said as she reappeared with their glasses refilled and handed them to everyone. Hinata clung to her glass as if it were her only chance for survival, and when it came to hanging around Ino it usually was.

"Tenten didn't even say anything yet!" Sakura yelled.

"Which is like an unspoken yes. I mean if you're too afraid to show off those little mosquito bites then I guess I would understand." Ino said with a smug smirk.

The change in Sakura's demeanor was almost instant. "You're only two sizes bigger than me Ino-pig! TWO SIZES!"

Ino laughed and took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, two sizes _smaller_."

This caused Tenten to giggle and Hinata couldn't help but let a small smile escape. To the untrained eye it looked as if Ino was just giving Sakura a hard time but the reality was Ino was working her subconsciously until she said yes. Sakura was doing her best to defend herself though.

"What about Hinata?" Sakura said pointing to the midnight blue haired kunoichi. This caused Hinata to involuntarily take a drink of sake.

"What about her? Ino asked with a shrug.

"Hinata doesn't want to do that kind of thing!" Sakura shouted at her.

This somehow struck a nerve in Hinata. _"I don't want to do this? Has it gotten to the point that I can't even speak for myself?"_ She felt her face start to flush from the sake as she took another sip and her eyes drifted to Sakura for a moment. _"You have everything; confidence, beauty, Naruto…"_ Hinata's thoughts trailed off as she thought of her blonde haired crush. Suddenly she felt a fire strike up inside of her and it began to spread throughout her body.

Quickly throwing back the last of her drink Hinata spoke. "I'm perfectly capable of speaking Sakura."

Sakura looked over at her usually shy friend in surprise. "I know but-"

"No buts-" Hinata interrupted. "I think it would be rather fun to take part in this contest."

All of the girls stared at Hinata in pure shock. Sakura's mouth hung open, Tenten pinched her leg, and Ino bit her lip. After realizing that Hinata had actually said those words Ino crossed her arms and looked at the other two.

"Well that makes two." She said with a smile.

Tenten looked at Hinata then her drink, shrugged, and then downed it. "What the hell, I'm in."

Ino then looked at Sakura expectantly.

Sakura's shoulders sagged as she sighed. "Get me another drink." she muttered in defeat.

Ino squealed before clapping her hands together and taking Sakura and everyone else's glasses and refilling them for a third time.

"Okay so we all have five minutes to prepare." Ino said as she handed everyone their drink as she went over the guidelines. "Do what you want; anything goes as long as you have no clothes on. Everyone got it?" The girls nodded and they each took a separate stall to prepare in.

Hinata stepped into her stall and locked the door behind her. _"What to do, what to do?"_ she asked herself as she looked the very accommodating stall. There was a small shower straight ahead of her for rinsing off as well as shampoo, conditioner, and scented oils. There was a small bench for sitting down to the right of her and a full body mirror hung on the back of the door directly behind her. _"Hmm, I wonder what the others are doing to prepare?"_ she asked herself. Silently she activated her Byakugan to sneak a peek on the other girls. She blushed at the fact that she was spying on her friends while they were naked but she wanted to see what they were up to.

Ino was staring at her pubes with a razor in hand as she seemed to be debating whether or not to shave herself. After a moment she shrugged and started to shave but Hinata could tell she had no intention of going completely bald. Tenten seemed to be in the same predicament but unlike Ino she resorted to just trimming. Hinata then turned her attention to Sakura and what she saw made her laugh out loud. Before she could stop herself she spoke so everyone could hear her.

"Sakura, no matter how much you rub them they aren't going to get any bigger." Hinata said laughing.

Sakura froze as her eyes widened. "Damn it Hinata! Stop using your eyes!" she shouted angrily after she recovered.

"Someone a little desperate to beat me?" Ino asked laughing at Sakura.

Sakura scowled at the girls as they laughed at her.

"Okay Hinata, stop using your eyes to spy on us or else I'll tell Naruto your secret." Ino threatened. Hinata's eyes immediately shut down as a small shiver passed through her. "Finish up guys, two more minutes." She warned.

Hinata finished her glass of sake and stripped down. Her head felt light and she could feel her judgment slipping. She stared at herself in the mirror and couldn't help as her eyes traveled down to nether region. _"Maybe if I was a little drunker I would."_

Hinata knew she wasn't that drunk, she hadn't even started swearing which was a telltale sign. She sighed and turned around when suddenly Hinata like she had hit a wall, and she started to sway so she grabbed onto a shelf for support. _"Oh shit, that came out of nowhere."_ She thought, and then she paused as she shook her head at how sudden it hit her. _"Kuso…"_ She glanced one more time at her pubes, looked over at the shelf to see a razor on it, and then shrugged. _"Fuck it."_ She thought as she grabbed the razor and cream and started shaving it off. Before she knew it she was done, of course it went fast when she didn't have to worry about being careful not to shave too much off.

Hinata wiped herself down and turned around slowly to look at herself in the mirror. _"Oh kami, what have I done?!"_ she asked herself as her eyes widened in horror. Before she could do anything though Ino's voice ripped her away from her thoughts.

"Okay guys time to see who the best is! Come on out!"

She could hear the others unlock their doors and walk out, all the while laughing nervously and teasing each other. She continued to listen to them as they complimented each other and ogled over certain aspects of each other. That didn't last long when they realized someone was missing.

"Hinata! Get out here right now!" Ino demanded.

"Yeah Hinata, you got me into this!" Sakura shouted in agreement.

Hinata stood there with her hand on the door knob shaking. Attempting to calm herself, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _"Okay, let's just get this damn thing over with."_ Unlocking the door, Hinata opened it slowly and stepped out.

Ino had done her hair up in pig tails, lathered herself down in oil to make her skin shine, and had shaven herself into a thin landing strip. Tenten had let her typical buns fall, which allowed her brown hair to cascade in waves just below her shoulder blades. Sakura had shaven herself into a landing strip just as Ino had done but not as thin. However, they all paled in comparison to Hinata as they turned their attention to her.

Ino, Tenten, and Sakura's mouths practically hit the ground when they saw Hinata step out of the stall. Their eyes went down, then up, then back down again. Hinata stood there uncomfortably with her left arm behind her back holding her right arm as a faint pink blush dusted her cheeks, half from the attention and the other half from the alcohol. Her midnight blue hair fell over her right shoulder gracefully and hugged her side as it traveled down her curvaceous body to just above her waist line. Her soft pale skin seemed to have an aura about her that made her look as if she was glowing. Her pink nipples on her massive yet perky chest practically jumped out compared to her pale skin and seemed to almost stand out as much as her dark hair did. However, what drew the most attention to the girls was Hinata's newly landscaped front lawn.

"Oh my god, you actually shaved it…" Ino whispered in shock as she continued to stare.

"How does it feel Hinata?" Tenten asked as she too was having a hard time looking anywhere else.

"I f-feel like an i-idiot for doing it." Hinata stuttered slightly from all the unwanted attention.

"Yeah," Sakura said next, "but it looks so…"

"…Sexy." Ino finished for her. She continued to stare as she walked towards Hinata. "It really does look so soft…and smooth…" As she got closer she held out her hand slowly, Hinata just froze in fear. "I wanna touch it." She said in an almost daze like state.

"INO!" Sakura yelled as she smacked away Ino's hand. "What the hell's wrong with you?! Are you that drunk?"

Ino shook herself out of her daze a blushed like mad. "S-Sorry, I don't know what came over me." She looked at Hinata who was also blushing like crazy. "Sorry Hinata, I didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable."

Words failed her so Hinata simply nodded her head to show she accepted the apology.

Ino then looked at Sakura and Tenten and smiled. "Well, I think we know who the winner is." The others nodded as they smiled at each other.

Ino looked back at Hinata who had her head down. "Congratulations Hinata, you're the sexiest kunoichi here!"

"Nani?!" Hinata practically shouted as she looked up with a blush and her eyes filled with surprise.

"Oh come on, just look at you!" Ino said as she rolled her eyes. "You have gorgeous hair, curves that any girl would kill for, a rack any _guy_ would kill for, and now you're sporting probably the most beautiful vagina I've ever seen!"

Sakura and Tenten blushed at what Ino had said but nodded in agreement.

Hinata stood there in shock from the compliments. "Wh-What about you guys? You're much prettier than I am." she said in as she hung her head slightly.

"Please, all I have is curves. That's it." Tenten said.

"All I have is a well maintained downstairs." Sakura add as she pointed to her little pink landing strip.

"And all I have is long hair and big tits." Ino said last. "It would take combining all three of us together to get your natural beauty Hinata."

Hinata couldn't help but smile at her friends as a few tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "You guys are the best!" she said as she pulled them all into a big naked bear hug.

* * *

><p>On the other side of two, two white haired shinobi froze mid drink at a bar and looked at each other.<p>

"Somewhere, something beautiful just happened." Kakashi said.

A tear fell from Jiraiya's eye as he pulled out his notebook. "I will not let this moment be lost!" he shouted as he disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>"What do you say we take a hot bath and finish off that bottle?" Hinata suggested as she let go of the girls and grabbed the bottle of sake.<p>

"I'm in!" Tenten said smiling.

"Same here!" Sakura joined in.

"I don't know guys…" Ino said somewhat hesitant.

The girls stopped and looked at Ino in surprise.

"What's wrong Ino, upset that you lost?" Tenten asked with a grin to which Ino just scowled at her.

"No, she's probably just jealous of Hinata's rockin' body." Sakura said grinning as well which got her a glare.

"Nah, she's probably just pissed that her carpet doesn't match the drapes." Hinata said somewhat slowly as she took a sip from the sake bottle.

Tenten and Sakura fell to the floor laughing as Ino stared at Hinata in horror before covering herself up and blushing.

"Sh-Shut up Hinata!" Ino shouted in embarrassment.

"Awe, it's okay Ino." Hinata taunted. "How about a new contest?" she suggested. "First one shitfaced wins." As she said this she waved the bottle of sake out in front of her with a mischievous grin.

Tenten managed to get herself under control and spoke through gasps of breath. "Well it looks like we've already lost Hinata."

Hinata rolled her eyes before taking another swig from the bottle. "Please…I'm sotally tober."

The girls looked at each other before losing it again and making their way to the hot bath. Ino simply smiled and laughed as they drank away the rest of night. Hinata may have beaten her in their little contest and gotten the last joke in, but she had a feeling come tomorrow it would be Ino who had the last laugh.

* * *

><p>Hinata woke up with a splitting headache and a strong urge to relieve her stomach of its contents. Stumbling around Tenten, Ino, and Sakura she quickly made her way to the bathroom before vomiting into the toilet.<p>

"Never again…" she mumbled to herself in pain over and over again until the nausea had passed for the time being.

Standing up slowly, Hinata made her way over to the sink to brush her teeth and rid herself of the bitter taste of stomach acid in her mouth. Looking at herself in the mirror she saw that she looked paler than usual and had dark bags under her eyes. _"Well don't you just look gorgeous."_ she thought to herself sarcastically. Deciding she needed a shower, Hinata turned on the water in the tub and then switched it over to shower before quickly stripping down. Stepping into the shower she allowed the soothing hot water to run down her body and start to wash away the hangover. As she stood there, Hinata ran her hands over her body to make sure all areas were wet before she started to lather herself up with soap. Her hands ran down her stomach further and further until her hands froze when her fingers informed her that something was missing. Looking down she couldn't help but gasp at what met her eyes.

"EEEEEE! WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!" She screamed in shock and horror.

On the other side of the bathroom door Ino, Sakura, and Tenten rolled on the floor laughing as they listened to Hinata discover her drunken mistake.


	16. Chapter 15

**A/N: Hey everyone, here's chapter 15! Glad to see everyone enjoyed the last chapter and the Omake. I must admit, it was a little mean to just embarrass Hinata like that but hey, it was funny! Now don't freak out, the chapter looks long but it's only average length I promise. The only reason it looks long is because I added an Omake at the end of the chapter. Yes, I know, I spoil you. On a serious not I would like to say that this chapter will shed some light on Sakura, so those of you that have been condemning her and wanting answers here ya go! On an even more serious note I would like to give a shout out to two amazing authors that are new and you should all definitely check out.**

**JadedRen: Out of the Dark**

**Roamer79: My Own Peace**

**Seriously guys, check these out they have great stories! Now, without further ado the latest chapter. R&R please as always!**

**Chapter 15: Breakfast Note**

Night had completely fallen over Konoha like a dark blanket. The once bustling city was now resting sleepily for the night as everyone wound down for the day. The only people out now were ninja on duty patrolling the perimeters and the streets. However, two ninja that were not on duty still made their way through the darkened streets slowly winding their way up the Hokage monument.

"What do you think Kakashi-sensei wants from us?" Kiba asked.

Sai didn't look at Kiba but answered regardless. "It could be any number of things, but if I had to guess I would say it has something to do with our latest 'unofficial' mission."

Kiba nodded in agreement, it did seem like a logical reason for why the Cyclops ninja told them to not speak a word to anyone about what had happened and even more so as to why they had been told to lay low until Kakashi could debrief them. Reaching the top of the monument the two shinobi made their way over to the edge of the cliff, more specifically, over the Fourth's head. As they approached the edge, the shape of Kakashi came into view standing on the edge staring up at the night sky.

"Hey sensei, we're here. What do you want to talk to us about?" Kiba said as they came to a stop.

Kakashi remained quiet for a few more moments before sighing and turning around to face them. "I'm sure you two have already guessed that I want to talk to you about Sakura's desertion." Kiba and Sai both nodded at this. "What I want you to do is not utter a single word about what happened to anyone else."

"But sensei, Naruto has a right to know what happened." Sai said somewhat heatedly. He was upset that yet another one of Naruto's special people were trying to keep things from him.

Kakashi simply smiled at Sai. "Sai, I'm glad to see that you are beginning to understand these emotions you feel and that you recognize that your friendship with Naruto is special. However," Kakashi suddenly stopped smiling and hardened his gaze at the both of them, "I expect you to follow my orders."

Sai and Kiba both glared at Kakashi both they both spoke.

"Of course sensei."

Kakashi sighed heavily. A deep sigh that spoke about the volumes of troubles, burdens, and regrets that he had experienced in his lifetime. "Look," he said getting their attention, "I plan on telling Naruto about what has happened just not right at this very moment. He's been through so much the past two weeks I think he deserves one night of rest. I'll tell him tomorrow morning and we'll develop a plan from there."

"A plan?" Kiba asked warily.

"I agree, what do you mean by that sensei?" Sai asked.

Kakashi reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded slip of paper. "When I came across that girl at the bridge I found this note clenched in her hand. It was a note left by Sakura."

Kiba's eyes widened slightly and glanced at Sai.

Sai remained expressionless but was the first to speak. "What did it say?"

Kakashi slipped the note back into pocket. "All you need to know for now is that nothing is ever as it first appears."

Kiba's face contorted slightly as he tried to understand what Kakashi meant but Sai seemed to understand and nod in acceptance.

Kakashi continued. "Meet me at the hospital tomorrow at noon. I want you two to be there when I tell Naruto. You are dismissed."

The artist and tracker nin turned to leave but were stopped one last time. "I hate to my repeat myself, but this information stays with us. Understood?"

"Hai, sensei." They replied.

"Good, get some rest and I'll see you in the evening." Kakashi said as he turned to look back out over the village.

Kiba and Sai left leaving Kakashi only with his thoughts. _"Sensei…I could really use your guidance right now. Please, give me some kind of a sign."_ Kakashi prayed silently as he continued to stare up at the twinkling stars.

Kakashi was a man that usually didn't resorted to these kinds of things. He found life was short, cruel, and flat out brutal. It was because of this that he refused to pray to any higher beings. He had experienced sorrow that could only be bested by Tsunade or Naruto, and therefore he felt that no higher beings deserved any prayers from him for making life a sick joke. However, if there was one person he did pray to, it was his father figure and sensei, Minato. The man had brought light to his darkness when he was a child and he both respected and loved him as a teacher and father. So, when Kakashi found himself deeply burdened he would only pray to the one person that meant as much as Naruto did to him. His peace didn't last however as the shadowy figure of an ANBU appeared behind him.

"Hatake-san, you have been summoned to appear before the village elders." The ninja said to the former ANBU captain.

Kakashi sighed. "I expected as much. I will be there momentarily." The ANBU gave a short bow and disappeared. _"Please sensei," _Kakashi thought once more looking up at the night sky, _"I really need your strength right now."_

With one last troubled sigh the silver haired jonin disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

><p>Two old shinobi sat in the Hokage's office waiting for the appearance of jonin they had summoned. They had long since retired but they still served the village they loved by representing on the village council. There was a knock at the door and old man spoke.<p>

"Enter." Homura said quickly.

The door opened and Kakashi walked in and stood before the two elders before he asked somewhat bored. "You summoned me?"

Ignoring his tone Koharu spoke. "Hatake Kakashi, we have looked over your report that you submitted upon your return from your unofficial mission. We are disturbed to hear about the events that took place at the Five Kage Summit meeting. Uchiha Sasuke has truly become a threat to the shinobi world, but that is for another discussion entirely. The reason we have called you here is for something much more pressing at the moment."

"And that would be?" Kakashi asked lazily but his eye did narrow slightly.

Koharu continued. "After speaking with the ANBU captains we have confirmed that Danzo, the Sixth Hokage, is dead."

Kakashi made no sign of surprise and it didn't go unnoticed.

"You were expecting this?" Homura asked.

Kakashi nodded. "I had my suspicions when Sai informed me that the seal placed on his tongue by Danzo disappeared."

Homura glanced at Koharu quickly and Kakashi felt himself beginning to get impatient. "Is there a reason you asked me to come here?" he asked slightly irritated.

Koharu once again ignored his tone. "Hatake Kakashi, after discussing it with Koharu and the clan heads we have decided to nominate you as the next Hokage."

Kakashi's eye widened in surprise before he regained control and spoke. "Are you sure there isn't someone else that could fill the position? What about Nara Shikaku?"

Homura shook his head. "We suggested that to Shikaku but he claimed that he would best serve the village by leading in the strategy and the defenses of the village. He claimed that it would be best to have the younger generation take the lead and finally step up to the plate."

"Probably thought it was too troublesome." Kakashi muttered under his breath.

"You were the best choice, Kakashi." Koharu said grabbing his attention. "You fought in the Third Shinobi war and are known far and wide for your skills. This village needs a strong ninja that will be able to lead and protect it."

"Then why not nominate Naruto?" Kakashi asked off-handedly. This caused the elders to stop for a moment. "He is very strong, stronger than me at this point. He has mastered Senjutsu and saved the village from imminent death. He is the perfect candidate for the position."

"You are correct." Homaru said after a pause. "However, this all started and was caused because of the demon he has inside of him-"

"-Watch what you say…" Kakashi warned as his eye flashed dangerously.

Homaru held up his hands in a placating manner. "I hold no ill will against the boy. He has earned my respect and the respect of the village. Not to mention my grandson idolizes him. However, what I mean to say is that the Akatsuki will be hunting him down relentlessly. _If_ something were to happen to him and he was captured then the village would be without a leader yet again. That's something we simply can't allow."

Kakashi was quiet as he processed what he had just heard. They were willing to nominate Naruto, but they wouldn't at this current time due to the threat of the Akatsuki. He didn't see a way out of the situation he was in at the moment. _"Damn it sensei, you have sick sense of humor!"_

Sighing in defeat Kakashi spoke. "Okay, I accept the nomination for the next Hokage." Both Homaru and Koharu looked relieved at hearing this. "However, as soon as the threat of the Akatsuki is taken care of I will be stepping down and naming Naruto as my successor."

Koharu glanced at Homaru before looking at him. "That's fine Kakashi, it's your decision and if you think he is ready when the time comes then so be it. The Fire Dynamo will be here tomorrow morning to hear and agree to the nomination. The meeting will be held on the first floor of the Hokage tower at 10 a.m."

Kakashi nodded his head and understanding and gave a bow before leaving. As he reached the door, however, he was stopped by Koharu.

"One more thing Kakashi." The jonin turned around and looked at her questioningly. "Don't be late."

Kakashi's one eye turned into a U-shaped smile as he waved them off and left. Walking out of the building he looked up at the starry sky and sighed one last time. _"I stand corrected sensei…NOW I really need you."_

* * *

><p>On the third floor in the west wing of the newly built hospital in an isolated room surrounded by ANBU guards, lies the unconscious body of Senju Tsunade. The room was completely secure, with no windows and only one door in and out. The room was completely dark except for the faint green glow of the monitors that were hooked up to the comatose former Hokage. The only noise in the room was the soft steady breathing of the blonde and the soft beep of the heart monitor. This changed however when a shadow seemed to morph out of the wall and walk towards her. The soft sound of scuffing feet joined the noise of the room until the shadow appeared standing over Tsunade.<p>

"Tsk, tsk, sleeping on the job Tsunade-chan? What would your grandfather say?" the shadowy figure asked jokingly.

The soft beeping of the monitor was the only thing that answered his questions.

Reaching out a hand that began to glow faintly, a flash of static electricity jumped from the man's finger tips as he pressed them to the blonde's forehead and spoke. "Time to wake up."

There was a slight influx on the monitor as Tsunade's heart rate changed when the man's fingers pressed against Tsunade's head. At first nothing happened, but after a moment Tsunade's faced scrunched up and then with a slight groan her eyes fluttered open.

"Rise and shine Tsunade-hime," The man said with a smile as he leaned forward into the soft green light to reveal himself as Jihibiki, "it's time to go to work."

* * *

><p>Morning came quickly for most people, however, for one blonde shinobi it couldn't come fast enough. As the sun started to rise in the sky so did Naruto, but the dark bags under his eyes clearly showed that he had little sleep if any at all. Sitting up with an exhausted yawn and a stretch he could feel that his muscles were still just a little bit sore. <em>"Damn my subconscious! This night terror is driving me insane!"<em> he thought as he placed his tired head in his hands. He was so close to discovering who the person was in his dream. This time he had heard a voice, well, the beginning of a voice. As soon as they began to speak the dream ended. It was frustrating and Naruto was beginning to feel the drain from the lack of proper rest.

Looking up from his hands miserably, Naruto glanced across the room and had to do a double take because of what met his eyes. Lying across from him wrapped up in bandages was a sleeping angel. Naruto rubbed his eyes before looking again and couldn't help but feel the heat from a slight blush. Her midnight blue hair was spread out on her pillow and her chest fell up and down softly as she peacefully slept. Her face radiated innocence and she had a beautiful aura about her. _"What makes me so special? What do you see in me Hinata?"_ he asked himself.

"**Good question…"** Kyuubi muttered.

Naruto sighed inwardly, _"Please, can just give me time to wake up?"_

Kyuubi snorted. **"You were up all night, you are awake."**

"_You know what I mean!"_ Naruto hissed, and with an 'hmph' Kyuubi left his mind.

As soon as the Kyuubi left Naruto a nurse walked in through the door. "Good morning Naruto-sama!" she said brightly.

"Shhh." Naruto said quietly with a finger to his lips before he pointed towards Hinata.

The nurse seemed confused at first but when she saw Hinata sleeping she smiled warmly at him which he returned. However, it was short lived when he saw what she had brought in and his face showed the horror.

"Naruto-sama, I know you hate it but you can't leave the hospital so you're just going to have to endure it." The nurse said exasperatedly.

Naruto wanted to complain but he didn't want to wake up Hinata so he nodded glumly. The nurse rolled her eyes and set the tray of hospital food down beside him on his table.

"Since Hinata-sama is still sleeping I will come back when she wakes up. Just press that button beside your bed and I will bring it." The nurse said with a smile as she turned to leave.

When the nurse opened the door she was met with shouts of excitement as Shizune went barreling down the hallway.

"What in the world?" the nurse asked confused.

Hearing the shouts of excitement, Hinata slowly opened her eyes and sat up sleepily. "Ano…what's going on?" she asked trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Good morning Hime!" Naruto said brightly with a large smile.

"Eeep!" was all Hinata got out as she was instantly awake and pulled her sheets up to her face to hide her blush.

"_She's too cute."_ Naruto could help but think with a smile as he watched her. A growl in the back of his mind instantly killed his mood though. _"Can it fur ball, I swear you're worse than a woman when it comes to emotions."_ Naruto hissed.

"**Coming from the kid that wouldn't understand if she crashed a caravan full of signs saying 'I love you' through your apartment…yeah, **_**you're**_** right."** Kyuubi muttered sarcastically.

"_Enough."_ Naruto said shoving him from his mind. He then looked at Hinata as the nurse returned to give her breakfast. "We don't know what that noise was all about, it came out of nowhere."

Hinata nodded meekly as she accepted her tray and the nurse left. Looking at Naruto she saw that he hadn't even touched his food yet.

"A-Aren't you g-going to eat, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked confused. She knew that he had a huge appetite.

"No way, I didn't think it was possible but the food actually tastes sad!" Naruto said making a face.

Hinata put a hand to her mouth and couldn't help but giggle at the face he made. _"I wish I could wake up to this every morning."_ She thought. Suddenly the idea of sharing a bed with Naruto flashed in her head and she was rewarded with a deeper blush.

Across the room Naruto heard the soft giggle from Hinata and couldn't help but laugh a little as well. "Ya know Hinata, you're giggle is really contagious."

Hinata's face instantly grew a shade darker and her eyes widened slightly. Finding that her voice was failing her, Hinata quickly picked up her chopsticks and ate some rice. In an instant her face scrunched up and she gagged a horrific taste attacked her tongue. Quickly she reached for her napkin and spit out the contents and then proceeded to try and calm her stomach.

Naruto, who had watched the whole thing happen, was holding his sides in pain from laughing so hard. This only caused Hinata to blush more from embarrassment as she tried to calmly put the tray of food on the table by her bed.

"I told you it was bad Hinata." Naruto teased with a small smirk.

"I d-didn't know it w-was going t-to taste l-like _that_." Hinata said before trying to rid the awful taste from her mouth with a glass of water.

Naruto just laughed again before his stomach growled loudly causing him to blush slightly and scratch the back of his head. "Man I wish they had some ramen here. Then you wouldn't have to listen to this."

Hinata simply giggled at his antics but her stomach growled in protest as well causing her to look away and blush. "S-Some fresh cinnamon r-rolls w-would be n-nice." She said quietly.

"Is that your favorite food?" Naruto asked perking up and cocking his head to the side.

Hinata giggled once more at the image he gave off, it reminded her of a curious fox. Nodding she answered him. "H-Hai, they are my favorite f-food. I enjoy s-sweet things and fresh c-cinnamon rolls are the b-best."

Naruto grinned at her before hopping out of bed and walking over to the window and opening it. "I guess that makes sense." He said as he looked both ways out the window.

"I-It does?" Hinata asked confused by his logic and what he was doing.

"Sure it does." Naruto said turning around to look at her nodding sagely. "You're a kind, gentle, caring person so naturally you must like sweet things."

Hinata now had a scarlet blush across her face and her hands held up in front of her. "Th-Thank you N-Naruto-kun." She barely managed to get out.

"You don't need to thank me; I'm only telling the truth after all Hinata-chan." Naruto said before catching himself and blushing a little. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that."

Hinata felt herself starting to become woozy but she fought the urge to pass out. "I-It's f-f-fine, r-really Na-Naruto-kun." She stuttered out horribly.

Naruto shook his head. "No it isn't, you're royalty after all." He then proceeded to climb out the window.

"Where are y-you going?" Hinata asked before she could even process what he had said.

"I'm going to go get us some _real_ food. I'll be back in a little bit Hime." Naruto said and then he was gone.

Hinata who was already blushing promptly passed out from the private pet name he had apparently picked for her.

* * *

><p>Naruto walked through the village at a leisurely stroll with his hands in his pockets. After he left the hospital he had summoned one clone to go to his apartment and get him another change of clothes. Luckily he was dressed in his usual black and orange pant bottoms and had a simple burnt orange t-shirt on top with the red swirl symbol on the chest. Regardless, they were old and he wanted to change before he started to stink. Naruto couldn't help but notice the village was bouncing back nicely and everywhere he looked he saw people happy and smiling. Of course, he failed to notice that many of these smiles were directed towards him figuring that people were just being friendly and enjoying the nice day. He made his way happily through the village when he came across his favorite little restaurant. Pushing the flap aside, Naruto walked in and was greeted with the intoxicating aroma of different types of noodley goodness.<p>

"Naruto, it's so good to see you again boy! Where have you been lately? My service has been suffering without you here." Teuchi joked from behind the counter.

Naruto smiled and waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, sorry about that old man. I've currently taken up a new residence at the hospital so I haven't been able to get out much."

"The hospital? Is everything okay?" Ayame asked as she walked out from the back of the kitchen.

Naruto smiled at her brightly. "Of course! You know me; nothing keeps me down for long."

Ayme smiled and gave a small nod and then pulled out a notepad and pen. "So, what'll it be Naruto?"

"I'll take two bowls of miso and three of the barbecued pork." Naruto said with his mouth watering.

"Okay, it'll take about fifteen minutes so make yourself comfortable." Ayme said as she started to turn to leave.

"Actually this is to go." Naruto said causing Ayame to turn and look at Naruto while Teuchi popped his head out curiously from the door of the kitchen.

"But you always eat here." Teuchi said confused.

"Yeah I know," Naruto said with a laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I've got a friend that's in the hospital too and I don't want her to be alone for long. I know how boring it is being in there by yourself, plus I snuck out to get us some real food since the hospital's tastes like shit."

"Aw, that's so sweet Naruto!" Ayame practically shouted as her eyes started to glisten.

This caused two reactions to occur. The first was Naruto blushing slightly and shifting uncomfortably while averting his eyes. The second was Teuchi groaning and rolling his eyes before grabbing the order from his daughter's hand to start it.

"Anyways, I was hoping that you could tell me where the bakery is Ayame. I've never been there before and I need some things from it." Naruto said as he rubbed his head again.

"Yeah I can tell you." Ayame said and then after a pause she got a glint in her eye. "Why do you need to go there?"

Naruto shifted uncomfortably some more. "I, uh, was going to pick up breakfast for, uh, my friend."

At this point Ayame was practically gushing over Naruto. "Naruto you're such a gentleman!" she squealed as she wrapped him up in a hug.

After finally calming her down Naruto managed to get the directions to the bakery and his order of food. However, as Naruto was leaving Ayame gave him last minute advice.

"Uh, are you sure about that Ayame? We aren't like that or anything." Naruto said as he blushed again at the thought of them being a couple.

Ayame put her hands on her hips. "Yes I'm sure Naruto. Just because you aren't together doesn't mean you can't be nice to her. You like to make her smile don't you?"

"Of course, I love seeing her smile!" Naruto blurted out before he shut his mouth and blushed a red that would have made Hinata proud.

"Well then make sure you do it." Ayame said with a wink before waving good bye and walking back into the restaurant.

Naruto sighed and turned around to see his clone arriving with a pack full of new clothes. Taking the pack from his clone and dispelling it, Naruto then set out to find the bakery. It wasn't that hard for him to do, once he found the general area he was able to pinpoint the location of the bakery using his nose alone. Walking in Naruto couldn't help it as his mouth watered from all the different scents that bombarded his nose. The smell of fresh baked bread mixed with the different smells of glazes and spices had his stomach growling in demand of some kind of sustenance.

The baker heard Naruto walk in and without even looking spoke. "I'll be with you in a moment."

"It's okay, take your time." Naruto replied cheerfully as he looked around the bakery.

The baker froze hearing his voice and turned around slowly. His eyes widened when he realized who was in his establishment. "N-Naruto-sama! What a wonderful surprise to have the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village grace my bakery with his presence! How can I help you?" The man asked excitedly with a smile that could only be outdone by Naruto.

Naruto smiled nervously from all the attention. "I was hoping that you had some fresh cinnamon rolls?"

The man nodded vigorously. "Yes of course! I just pulled them out of the oven. How many would you like?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head with his free hand. "Hmm, let's see…Ramen is my favorite food and I can eat it like no tomorrow and Hinata-chan says that cinnamon rolls are her favorite but how many would she eat?" Naruto muttered to himself as he tried to think.

"Did you say Hinata? As in Hyuuga Hinata?" The baker asked.

"Yeah! You know her or something?" Naruto asked curiously.

The man grinned. "Do I know her? She's my best customer! I haven't seen her in a few days but she almost always come by here every morning for cinnamon rolls."

Naruto nodded his head. "Yeah, Hinata and I got laid up in the hospital for a few days. I figured I'd do us a favor and get us something real to eat."

The man had seemed alarmed at first but when he heard that his best customer and the hero of the village were fine he smiled. "Well in that case this order is on me."

Naruto tried to pay but the man refused and quickly got a box to put the rolls in. Naruto watched and his eyes grew bigger and bigger as he saw the man put more and more cinnamon rolls in the box. Handing the box to the blonde, Naruto took it hesitantly.

"Are you sure about this?" Naruto asked. He didn't want Hinata to think he was calling her fat or something since he had half a dozen cinnamon rolls.

The baker seemed to pick up on this and laughed. "Relax Naruto-sama, this is Hinata-san's usual order."

Naruto's eyes practically bulged out of his head when he heard this and caused the man to laugh harder. Naruto then got a mischievous look in his eyes. _"Looks like Hinata-chan has a guilty pleasure no one knows about."_ Naruto thought with a chuckle. Thanking the man, Naruto left and made his way to his last stop for the morning.

* * *

><p>Kakashi sighed inwardly as he stood in front of the clan heads, village elders, and the Fire Daimyo. <em>"I really don't want to do this."<em> He thought as he started to reach for the book in his pouch and had to stop himself. He couldn't help it though, he was so bored. The meeting had started at 10; it was now 10:30. It had taken the Fire Daimyo five minutes to decide that Kakashi was a worthy nomination for Hokage. The rest of the time was spent trying to decide if he should be named the sixth or the seventh Hokage. _"This is something so trivial. Please…someone just end this pain."_ He thought miserably.

* * *

><p>Naruto slipped back through the window and found that Hinata was asleep in her bed. Smirking to himself, he quickly went about getting everything ready. Removing the food from the tray on Hinata's table, Naruto quickly placed the cinnamon rolls on the plate in a pile. After he was done he pulled out the last thing he had stopped to get; a small vase with lilies. Setting it next to her bed on the table and then leaned over and shook Hinata's shoulder gently.<p>

"Hinata wake up, I'm back with breakfast." He said softly.

"Mmm, Naruto-kun." Hinata said softly as her pale lavender eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Hey Hime, I got something for you." Naruto said with a smaller than usual smile yet it seemed so much larger.

Naruto turned around and Hinata slowly sat up in bad. When he turned around he held a tray with a mountain of fresh hot cinnamon rolls sitting on it. Hinata's mouth became a waterfall and her stomach demanded satisfaction.

"Th-Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata said with a smile that lit up her face as she accepted the tray. She blushed at the thought of Naruto giving her breakfast in bed and blushed harder as their hands brushed against each other.

Naruto grinned larger as he watched her smile light up the room. "No problem, it's the least I can do." He said with a shrug.

Hinata couldn't wait any longer. She quickly picked up a roll and began to devour it, trying to remain as civil as possible. Naruto could see her hunger and simply laughed as she tried to remember her manners but was failing somewhat at it. She couldn't help it, she was starving. The whole ordeal with the demonic chakra had drained her and she needed her energy back. She and Naruto were enjoying their breakfast and Hinata had just finished her third roll when she reached over to the table beside her bed for a glass of water and froze. There was something on the table that wasn't there before and better yet had no reason to be there.

"N-Naruto-kun?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Naruto looked up with noodles hanging from his mouth. "Hmm?"

"W-Where did th-these c-come from?" she asked as she pointed to a small vase that had pink and white lilies in it.

Naruto swallowed his noodles and put a hand behind his head with a smile. "Well I got them for you when I was out getting our breakfast."

Hinata's face became dark red and her vision started to blur. _"Naruto-kun got me flowers? He actually got me flowers!"_

"O-Oh." Was all she could get out.

The change on Naruto's face was instantaneous. "Crap, you don't like them do you."

"W-What?! N-N-No of c-course n-not Naruto. I l-l-love them!" Hinata struggled to get out as she turned and stared at the most average yet beautiful lilies she had ever seen in her life.

The sheer amount of joy that washed over Hinata was indescribable as a small smile graced her lips but grew with the realization that Naruto had actually been the one that had gotten her the flowers. She absent-mindedly brought another cinnamon roll to her lips and began to nibble on it as she daydreamed about what it could actually mean.

Naruto watched as Hinata's smile grew and she became quite. He didn't think that she would like them that much but apparently Ayame was right, he would have to thank her next time he saw her. He couldn't help but feel warmth inside his chest knowing that he was the reason she had such a glow about her as she stared at the flowers. It made him feel amazing inside and he couldn't help but feel like he wanted to continue to make feel that way.

'I love them Naruto…I love you…'

Naruto froze as he remembered what she had said. However, that strange feeling came back in the pit of his stomach and when he looked at Hinata he felt it double. Everything about her screamed beauty and elegance to him and he couldn't help but feel a longing for her. He had the urge to get out of bed and wrap her in his arms before planting a kiss on her soft full lips and hold her tight.

"_Where are these feelings coming from? Does it mean that I want to be more than just friends with her?"_ He asked himself as he watched her eat. _"Does she really love me and is it possible that maybe I'm starting to get deeper feelings for her?"_

Naruto became lost in his thoughts as he started to play with the idea of them dating. He had to admit that it sounded nice. He knew how gentle and caring Hinata could be and the idea of her being there to comfort him when he was down seemed to make him smile on the inside. He also knew that he was in for hard times and they were only going to get harder with the Akatsuki hunting him, but the idea of having Hinata there for him to lean on sounded reassuring. Having her there to listen to him and not judge him, to hold his hand and stand by his side, to wrap him in a hug and tell him everything was all right; things that Naruto didn't have in his life but he wanted desperately.

"_She's beautiful, understanding, and caring so what's stopping me from returning the feelings to her?"_ he wondered.

"**Me."** Kyuubi muttered in the back of his mind.

Naruto tried to hide it but he couldn't as the scowl crossed his face and he pushed the fox from his mind.

"A-Ano, are y-you okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly.

Naruto was ripped from his thoughts and looked up at Hinata with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine." he said trying to wave it off. He gave her a toothy smile and she gave a small one in return. However, his smile faded when he got a contemplative look on his face.

"Hey Hinata?" he asked after a moment.

"Y-Yes Naruto-kun?" Hinata responded with a small blush.

"During the invasion when Pain had me trapped…Did you…did you really mean it when you said that…you loved me?" Naruto asked hesitantly looking down.

Hinata stiffened and her face became a fiery mess as her heart rate jumped. _"Oh no, why is this coming up now?"_ She knew that now was as good a time as any to talk about it but she was absolutely terrified as to what the outcome might be. _"You can do this Hinata; just tell him that you meant every word." _However, her own words seemed empty to her. She started to get a sick feeling in her stomach and her vision started to darken. She didn't want to say anything, she was so scared of what he might say but the quiet in the room was deafening to her. After a moment of attempting to steady her breathing and find her voice she answered him.

"Naruto-kun…" she said softly.

Naruto looked up at her with something she had never seen in his eyes before but something she was all too familiar with: fear. Fear of rejection. Fear that she was going to say she didn't mean any of it. Fear that he was going to wake up and it was all going to be a dream. As Hinata stared into fear laced blue orbs she could feel her heart breaking for him. She needed to fix it right now and resolved herself to do so.

Finding her voice she spoke. "…Naruto-kun I-I meant-"

Hinata never finished because at that moment the door slammed open and in walked Kiba and Sai.

"Hey guys!" Kiba said cheerfully. "What's…up…?" He trailed off as a depressed looking Hinata and an irritated looking Naruto met his eyes.

"Not much now." Naruto muttered crossing his arms and glaring at Kiba. Never in his entire life had he been so upset to seeing his friends.

Kiba remained oblivious but Sai picked up on the tension in the room. "Naruto is this a bad time?" he asked.

"What do you mean 'is this a bad time'?" Kiba asked confused looking back and forth between Sai and Naruto.

"Naruto is obviously irritated about our arrival and Hinata seems upset as well." Sai said as he analyzed the situation. Suddenly a light bulb went off in his head as he put two and two together. "Naruto we weren't interrupting anything intimate were we?"

"What do you mean?" Kiba asked confused looking at Sai. He failed to see the bewildered look on Naruto's face and the deepening blush of Hinata.

"We are I believe the term is, cock blocking Naruto." Sai explained.

Several things happened at that moment. Sai smiled innocently as if he understood the situation, Kiba looked horrified and then switched to anger as he turned on Naruto, Naruto looked absolutely shocked at how Sai even came to that conclusion, and Hinata…poor Hinata was blushing such a deep red that it looked like all the blood in her body had been redirected to her face. All she could do was shake her head vigorously as she held her hands up to her lips.

"S-Sai man, what the hell?!" Naruto stuttered out as he tried to break the silence.

"Was I incorrect about my conclusion?" Sai asked.

"VERY!" Hinata and Naruto shouted at the same time.

At that moment, a disheveled looking Kakashi and Hiashi entered the room to see a pouting Sai, an angry Kiba and Naruto, and a blushing Hinata.

"What's going on here?" Hiashi demanded.

Naruto looked over at him and Kakashi and couldn't help but show the confusion on his face. "What the hell happened to you two?" he asked as he took in their appearance and ignored the previous question.

Both Kakashi and Hiashi looked like they had been in a war. They had small welts and bruises on their faces and their clothes were a mess. Then there were the paper wads that were stuck in the men's hair as well.

Kakashi gave his typical one eyed smile. "Oh you know, just your standard meeting with the clan heads."

"A bunch of children." Hiashi muttered causing to Kakashi to chuckle.

Naruto was about to ask but Kakashi stopped him. "Naruto, I'm here to talk to you, Sai, and Kiba about what happened when we went on our little mission outside of the village."

Naruto nodded but then looked at Sai and Kiba. "What does that have to do with them?"

Kakashi sighed. "Sai, Kiba, and Sakura left after we did in an attempt to chase us down."

"Why?" Naruto asked confused, but then a more important question hit him. "Where is Sakura-chan?" Kiba and Sai shared a look and Kakashi hesitated. Naruto suddenly felt fear well up inside of him. "Where is Sakura? Where is my teammate?!" He demanded.

"Naruto…" Kakashi started but then failed to continue. He thought he had prepared himself for this conversation but he found that he still couldn't do it. He felt like a complete failure as a sensei and just couldn't bring himself to put this on Naruto.

Seeing that his sensei was of no use at the moment Naruto turned to the others. "Well?"

Kiba and Sai shared a look and then Sai spoke. "On our way to you, Kiba picked up Sasuke's scent." Naruto's eyes widened at this and Hinata let out a small gasp. "We redirected towards him, hoping to intercept him and bring him back to the village. However…" Sai trailed off as he tried to find the words.

"The bitch attacked us and left with Sasuke." Kiba said irritated as he crossed his arms.

Naruto was in so much shock he couldn't even breathe. "W-What?"

"Kiba!" Kakashi said sharply making him flinch. "When you say it like that you make her sound like she deserted the village."

"Well that's what she did!" Kiba shouted back.

"Did you forget about the note already?" The scarecrow ninja scolded as he reached into his pocket.

Kiba shrank back and lowered his head and listened as Kakashi continued. "I found this on the girl I picked up on our way back to the village after you were reversed summoned." Kakashi said handing the note over to Naruto. "It was left by Sakura."

Naruto's eyes widened when he heard this so he slowly opened the note and read the message inside.

_Naruto,_

_I don't have a lot of time but I wanted to leave you with something to try and ease your worrying. Please don't think that I have deserted you. I know that's what it looks like but I promise it isn't. The world has turned its back on Sasuke and it seems like team seven is the only thing he has left. You have been carrying Sasuke as a burden for so long because of me and the time has finally come for me to carry it myself. I don't know what I can do, but I know that I have to try something. If I do fail, and I die please know this though. You are the greatest friend any person could ask for. You have a light about you that puts courage and faith in people and brings out the best in others. Never let that light go out Naruto. Find happiness in your life and cling to it. I'm sorry that I could never return the feelings that you felt for me, but any woman would be lucky to have you. I have to go now so please do this one thing for me. Stay safe and be the man that you were destined to be._

_In my heart always,_

_Sakura _

Hinata watched as tears flowed openly from Naruto's pain filled eyes. It tore her apart to see him like this. She wanted to do something, anything to make him feel better but she didn't know what to do. She watched as he gripped the note and let his head fall onto his knees as he tried to suppress a sob but failed in the end. The mood had become incredibly depressing and for good reasons. Team 7 now consisted of only two members while the other two had left the village.

"_Why would she leave me a note saying that she was trying to help me? How is abandoning team 7 helping? How could it not look like what it is? She left me, she left us." _Naruto thought to himself desperately.

"**If I make a suggestion kit?"** Kyuubi asked in the back of his mind. Naruto just simply nodded for him to continue. **"Look beneath the beneath."** Was all the fox said before fading.

Naruto tried to think straight but he found it difficult with his breathing ragged and his heart beating like crazy. Closing his eyes he forced his breathing to calm and thought the note over in his head.

'…_I know that's what it looks like but I promise it isn't…team seven is all he has left…team seven…'_

"_Why team seven?"_ Naruto asked himself confused as he looked at the note again. _"Why not team 7? She was in a rush and that would have saved time…unless!"_

Naruto suddenly looked up at Kakashi. "Have you had this note checked for encryptions?"

Kakashi was surprised by his student's sudden question. "No I haven't, I didn't think it was necessary." He admitted.

Naruto scowled at him. "You should more faith in your students, sensei. Get me Shikamaru, I think he'll want to see this."

"Did you find something?" Kakashi asked surprised that Naruto may have picked up something he didn't.

Naruto handed the note back as he answered him. "Read the fourth sentence again."

Kakashi skimmed the sentence over and looked at Naruto confused. "I don't see anything peculiar." He admitted raising an eyebrow.

"Look beneath the beneath." Naruto said.

Kakashi's eyes widened for a moment and then he looked back at the note. After a reading the first part again he saw it. "How did you see this?"

Naruto smiled sheepishly with a hand scratching the back of his head. "Oh you know it just came to me."

In the back Naruto's head Kyuubi muttered something about never getting any credit or respect that he deserved but Naruto ignored him for the time being.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked confused.

"Well it appears that there may be a hidden message in this note that Sakura left behind." Kakashi said.

"So she may have a reason for leaving the village then." Sai followed up as he thought about what could have caused it.

"Exactly." Kakashi said. "I'm going to take this to the encryption department and see what they can tell me."

Kakashi turned to leave when he was stopped by his last student.

"Kakashi-sensei, what happened to the girl you got the note from?" Naruto asked.

"She had been wounded and was dying but we managed to save her. Sakura had apparently left the note in her hand for one of us to find." Kakashi said and with that he turned and left.

"W-What's going to happen t-to the girl n-now?" Hinata asked. She had been quiet this entire time but she was curious as to what would happen to her now.

"She's recovering in the hospital and once she is well enough she will be transported to the interrogation group for questioning about the Akatsuki." Hiashi said as he moved over to his daughter's side.

"That makes two Akatsuki members that are in our custody now." Said Sai as he referred to the water nin that attacked Hinata and Naruto over a week ago.

"Any progress with her?" Naruto asked curiously. He was surprised that the interrogation department hadn't said anything about her yet.

"No, she's proving to be a tough nut to crack." Sai answered him.

"The important thing is that everyone is safe for the time being." Hiashi said with a rare smile as he looked at his daughter. Suddenly there was a crash in the hallway and several shouts. This caused Hiashi to become paler than usual and he looked at Naruto and spoke quickly. "Naruto, there's probably something you should know."

Naruto cocked his head in confusion.

"The Hokage is awake." Hiashi said quickly as he bent down and kissed his daughter on the top of the head before briskly walking to the window and saying, "And she isn't happy."

With that Hiashi jumped out the window and disappeared, a rare and ungraceful exit for a Hyuuga seen only once in a blue moon, but an exit that Hiashi thought was necessary. Kiba and Sai took one look at Naruto, looked at each other, and then followed Hiashi out the window. Before Naruto could open his mouth to speak the door to the room burst off its hinges and a busty ragged looking blonde with two pigtails staggered into the room and looked straight at him.

"You!" she shouted crazily as she pointed a finger at him.

"M-Me?!" Naruto asked in fear as he pointed to himself.

**A/N: Well there's the 'official chapter 15'. Hope you enjoyed it. Now for another Omake, yes I know I spoil you but I had this hilarious idea about the meeting that Kakashi and Hiashi were at prior to talking with Naruto. So here is Omake number two and I hope you enjoy it!**

Omake 2

If Kakashi wasn't standing he would have been banging his head off of the table in boredom. The meeting had started at 10 and it was now 11:30. _"We haven't done anything! This blubbering idiot has still been thinking about what number to give me!"_ He cried inwardly. He wanted to just leave but he knew that could cause problems if he did. He seriously needed to find something to occupy his time or else he was sure he was going to die of boredom.

He wasn't the only one that felt this way either. Nara Shikaku looked like he was about to die of boredom as well, Akimichi Choza was holding his stomach in pain trying to silence its hunger noises, and Yamanaka Inoichi had built a small catapult out of a paper clip and was in the process of launching tiny paper wads at Hiashi. Hiashi, however, was surprisingly behaving no better. He had silently activated his Byakugan and was repelling the wads of paper by releasing bursts of chakra from his tenketsu points before they could hit him. It amused Kakashi to see these clan heads reverting back to such childish things but he couldn't blame them.

Suddenly Kakashi go an idea. Deciding to play the devil's advocate, he nonchalantly lifted his headband from his eye and activated his mangekyo Sharingan. Hiashi saw this and was confused as to what Kakashi was planning. Inoichi didn't notice though and launched another wad at Hiashi but it never reached him as it was sucked up into a small spiraling vortex. Inoichi looked stunned for a moment before he looked at Kakashi confused. Kakashi simply smiled with his eye before focusing on Shikaku. A small swirling vortex appeared yet again but this time a paper wad flew out and bounced off of Shikaku's head. That was all it took. Shikaku took one look at his friend who was trying to silently motion that it wasn't him and tore off multiple pieces of paper. Rolling them all into balls he then summoned his shadow into multiple tentacles and had each of them pick up a wad. Before Inoichi could do anything he found himself under a hail of paper pieces and picked up the folder in front of him to try and shield himself. Howerver, in the process of doing this a paper wad deflected off the folder and struck Choza.

Choza, who was already in a foul mood due to hunger, look at Shikaku with daggers. Shikaku could only sweat drop as he muttered 'troublesome' to himself before ducking to dodge a paper wad that rocketed past his head. Choza would have his revenge though and rolled up another piece of paper and placed it in his partially expanded hand before taking aim again. Before he could do anything though another wad struck him in the chest much powerful than usual. Looking over he saw Hiashi with a smirk on his face and two fingers extended.

Choza took one look at Inoichi and with a nod the teams had been silently chosen. Choza took aim and channeled chakra into the paper wad and fingers. While he did this Inoichi prepared his tiny catapult, took aim of Shikaku, and channeled chakra into them as well. Without a word they fired at the same time.

Shikaku quickly called up his shadow to catch the paper piece and flung it back at Choza with another barrage of chakra laced paper wads. Choza could only cover his face as he was pelted with stinging little paper bullets. Inoichi hadn't fared much better. Hiashi had the incoming paper bullet repelled with a chakra burst and then tossed his own wad in the air before doing a two fingered Air Palm Wave to send the projectile rocketing back at Inoichi. The wad hit him right between the eyes and a welt could already be seen.

In a flash paper wads filled the air as they flew back and forth at different targets. Some collided in air while others found their mark. The table was quickly becoming littered with paper and small mountains of ammunition could be found in front of each clan head. This sight proved to be too much for Kakashi and quiet chuckle escaped his lips. In an instant all fighting ceased and everyone turned to look at Kakashi. Raising his hands in defense he tried to smile and seem innocent but he could see the teams had switched. Before Kakashi could do anything all four men launched their attacks at him.

Kakashi watched the attacks come at him and did the only thing he could. Holding out one finger he activated a weak mini Chidori and used it to incinerate any incoming paper wads while he used Kamui to intercept paper wads and fire them back at whomever he thought deserved it. However, the amount of paper wads proved to be too much and soon he found himself being pelted and stung over and over again. Looking for an exit he did the only thing he could think of.

"Sir I have an idea." Kakashi said trying to hide his desperation.

The Fire Daimyo looked up to see the clan heads frozen and staring at him like children caught in the act. The old man remained oblivious to the welts and paper wads and looked at Kakashi.

"And what is that, Hatake-san?" he asked with a smile.

"I say we flip for it and let fate decide." Kakashi said with a smile.

The Fire Daimyo thought for a minute fluttering his fan in his face before he smiled as well. "Okay, I like the sound of that. How shall we do this?"

"How about if I win I pick the title and if you win then you pick?" Kakashi suggested. The old man smiled and nodded. "Great, which side would you like sir?" Kakashi asked as he pulled out a coin.

"I would like tails, it never fails you know." The old man said with a chuckle and Shikaku had to fight every urge to argue the logic behind the comment.

"Great," Kakashi said as he readied the coin. "Heads I wins, tails you lose." The one eyed ninja said quickly and then flipped. Every clan head and even the elders stared at Kakashi as if he were crazy. Was he honestly trying to pull a fast one on the Fire Daimyo?

The coin went up and then came back down in Kakashi's hand. Kakashi looked at it and then smiled. "Well looks like I win, heads!" he said cheerfully.

"Aw well that's too bad." The Fire Daimyo said but smiled regardless. "Which number would you like?"

"I would like to be the-"

Before Kakashi could finish, Shizune burst into the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this meeting your majesty, but it is no longer necessary!" Shizune said breathlessly.

"Oh? And why is that sweetie?" The Fire Dynamo asked.

"Because Tsunade-sama has awakened from her coma." Shizune said relieved.

"Oh…" was all everyone could say.

"Well then in that case you are free to go." The Fire Daimyo said with a smile.

Shikaku face planted onto the table, Inoichi started to weep uncontrollably, Choza groaned in hunger and fell out of his chair, and Hiashi had developed an eyebrow tick. Kakashi sighed and turned for the door when he suddenly felt like something was wrong. Looking back, he saw all the men glaring at him and preparing another attack.

"Now, now, can't we talk this out?" Kakashi asked raising his hands and smiling.

"Get him!" Inoichi yelled as they launched their attacks.

Kakashi ran from the room with paper wads cracking the wall behind him. _"Oops, wrong choice of words I guess."_


	17. The Shower Incident

**Author's Note: Hey everyone, sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. Life in general has been hellacious and left me little time to write or even concentrate for that matter. I hit a bit of a wall on this chapter too which didn't help but it's finally done and I'm happy with it for the most part. Hope you enjoy and please Read and Review!**

**Chapter 16: The Shower Incident**

"You!" Tsunade shouted raising an accusing finger at Naruto. "You idiotic, arrogant, knuckleheaded brat!" she whispered dangerously dropping her voice while narrowing her eyes.

Naruto's face showed one of confusion before the insults sank in and his tempered flared. "A few weeks of uninterrupted sleep and you still manage to wake up on the wrong side of the bed Obaa-chan? Figures..." He muttered to himself as an afterthought as he crossed his arms.

Tsunade walked up to Naruto and looked him dead in the eyes. To his surprise it wasn't just anger that he saw but a mixture of hurt and relief as well. Her breathing was ragged and he wasn't sure if it was from barging in or her emotions that she was managing to keep in check just beneath the surface. It was then Naruto recognized the look that she was giving him, it was one of fear. It wasn't the typical fear associated with death or danger, but a fear of loneliness that plagued her eyes. Naruto knew that look all too well and he felt his heart pull against his chest to comfort her. She was terrified that he hadn't survived, that he had died in his fight against Nagato, and even though he sat in front of her right now she was terrified that he was going to disappear as if he was a figment of her imagination. She was scared and so she coped with it by putting up a front of anger in an attempt to protect herself from the possible reality that he was dead.

Tsunade pointed her finger at him again and opened her mouth but no words escaped because they never had time to leave her mouth. Before she could say anything Naruto grabbed her wrist and yanked her into a huge bear hug, strong enough to let her know he was alive but gentle enough considering she had just woken up from a coma. That was all it took and once in his embrace the dams burst and her emotions flooded out in sobs of relief.

"Baka! Y-You…b-baka! D-Don't ev-er…d-do that…a-again!" She said between sobs as her tears soaked into Naruto's shirt. She clung to him with a death grip while he held her in a protective manner and cooed to her gently trying to calm her down.

It took all it had for Naruto to not cry as well. The relief that washed over him knowing that the woman he saw as almost a mother was awake and very much alive was overwhelming. He felt his eyes begin to dampen but he steeled himself for the woman in his arms. She needed to know that there was one constant still in her life after all that had happened. She had to be strong for the village so he would be strong for her.

"I th-thought...I thought that y-you…oh kami Naruto! I'm the Hokage…i-it's my j-job to pro-tect the v-village, n-not yours!" she choked out, trying to catch her breath.

Naruto chuckled to himself before looking down at her. "Trying to steal my thunder now Baa-chan? I'm allowed to protect the things that are precious to me too ya know." Tsunade looked up at him angrily but her reddened eyes looked anything but that.

Naruto gave another chuckle at the way the Hokage was pouting and gave her an affection peck on her forehead. "You know I refuse to die before I take your spot Baa-chan. Have a little faith in me." Naruto said with a cheeky smile. "But I'm so happy to see that you're awake. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders."

"Baka! You're a-all I have l-left! If you d-died I'd…I'd bring you b-back and k-kill you myself!" Tsunade said with an attempted glare but the tears in her eyes didn't help her.

Naruto couldn't help but finally laugh at her contradiction. "You would be the only person in the world to bring me back to life just to kill me again."

Naruto knew what she meant though. Jiraiya was gone, the Third was gone, and now all they had left were each other. Still, he knew acting like an idiot with his jokes would cheer her up and that's what he was doing right now. What he didn't expect was for the soft spoken lavender eyed woman who had been watching the scene unfold to join the conversation.

"A-Actually N-Naruto-kun…I'd p-probably help H-Hokage-sama too." Hinata replied softly while looking down at her hands. A blush had appeared on her face as well at the suggested meaning of how important he was to her.

Tsunade's head snapped up towards the extra voice. "Crap." she muttered to herself as she abruptly stood up and tried to make herself presentable.

"It's o-okay Hokage-sama, I k-know how much Naruto-kun m-means to you." Hinata tried to reassure the red eyed blonde.

Tsunade seemed to relax slightly and directed a soft smile at Hinata which she returned in kind. Both women then turned their attention to Naruto who had a huge smile plastered on his face. The goofy look caused Tsunade to finally break down and a quiet laugh escaped her lips as she shook her head gently.

"You're something else you know that?" she said as she looked at him warmly. Words couldn't describe how grateful she was that he was fine.

"One in a million!" Naruto said enthusiastically while giving her a foxy smile and a thumbs up.

Tsunade chuckled at his antics but her face suddenly became serious. "Naruto…what happened after I lost consciousness?"

Naruto's smile faded and Tsunade couldn't help but catch the look of pain and guilt that crossed his face briefly. Naruto remained quiet and it was Hinata that spoke first.

"I think you should sit down for this Hokage-sama. It's a long story." Hinata said quietly.

Tsunade couldn't help but notice that the Hyuuga princess was now staring at her sheets with a very deep blush now on her face. This raised more questions for the Hokage but before she could ask them a very loud sound interrupted her: the growling stomach of a starved comatose patient.

"Oh…my stomach…" Tsunade groaned as she clutched her stomach and suddenly felt weak in the knees.

Naruto couldn't help but smirk at her and Hinata giggled as well.

"You can have the last of my cinnamon rolls if you'd like Hokage-sama." Hinata offered.

As soon as the words left Hinata's mouth there was a blur and the remaining three rolls vanished from her plate. Hinata stared at the empty plate in surprise before looking up at Tsunade who was licking her fingers. Her hunger was still present and she turned to Naruto who simply just laughed at her.

"Sorry, but I ate all of mine." Naruto said with a smirk and a shrug. "But you can have _this_ if you'd like?" He suggested as he offered up the hospital food.

Tsunade visibly shivered as she turned her nose away from the abomination that was the hospital food.

"I'd rather eat my own vomit than put that crap in my mouth." Tsunade said after making a face.

Naruto's face scrunched up at that thought and Hinata visibly paled but Tsunade just chuckled at their reaction. However, her stomach once again demanded sustenance and a rather annoyed expression graced her face.

"Where the hell is Sakura? If she was here I would have sent her out to get some real food by now. Does she have today off?" Tsunade asked and immediately noticed the look on Naruto's face.

"Naruto…where is Sakura?" Tsunade asked slowly.

Silence was the only thing that met her ears but the unshed tears brimming in Naruto's eyes were enough to cause a large lump to rise in her throat. When Hinata saw that Naruto was unable to answer their leader she decided to step in.

"H-Hokage-sama, you sh-should sit down for this." She said quietly motioning towards the chair next to Naruto's bed.

Tsunade said nothing but did as Hinata suggested. Once she was seated she looked at Hinata to continue. After a moment of silence to find her voice, Hinata began to quietly explain everything that had happened since Tsunade had been in a coma while Naruto stared out the window with his eyes fixed on some unseen object off in the distance.

* * *

><p>Neji walked briskly through the hallways of the Hyuuga compound with a hard contemplative look on his face. The servants in the hallways parted for him and no other clan members bothered him. He was one of the strongest in Hyuuga family; both of the branch and the main, but more importantly he was practically a main family member because he was on such good terms with his uncle. It was because of this familiarity that all the other members feared him, which was a stupid and irrational fear in his opinion.<p>

"_Fools, I've never done anything to them to cause this kind of behavior and yet they continue to recoil like beaten dogs."_ Neji thought to himself in annoyance.

In Neji's opinion his clan needed a complete overhaul on the system but the elders wouldn't allow any of that. However, there were more important things to address at the moment, more specifically, the meeting Hiashi had called for. As far as Neji knew the meeting only involved important members of the clan, both branch and main family, so he knew that the meeting held some significance. Reaching the double doors, Neji paused to make sure he looked presentable before sliding the door open and walking in.

Upon entering the room Neji quickly evaluated it, taking note of the people sitting patiently awaiting the arrival of their leader. As he sat down at the head of the branch members Neji couldn't help but wonder what was so important to call all of these people here. The elders were there and naturally they sat in the front facing everyone else with a space in the center reserved solely for their leader. Then there was Hanabi and a few other main branch clan members sitting on the opposite side of Neji. However, what he noticed with these main branch members was that they were all acknowledged shinobi within the clan. In other words, their names carried weight. The same could also be said with the branch members that Neji was sitting with.

"_What in the world is going on?"_ Neji wondered.

At that moment, Neji was pulled from his thoughts when Hiashi entered the room and took his place in front of clan. Silence immediately followed as all eyes in the room rested on the clan leader. After a moment of silence, Hiashi called the meeting to order.

"I'm sure that you are all well aware of the importance of this meeting just by who is present in this room." Hiashi said as he gazed at his clansmen. "There are a number of items I wish to inform you about so I will not waste any time." After a pause he dropped the first bomb. "The Sixth Hokage is dead."

"How did Hokage-sama die?" a main branch member asked quickly.

"He was killed by Uchiha Sasuke." Hiashi replied with no hint of emotion.

Neji caught his gasp of surprise in his throat before it could escape but the clansmen around him had no luck. Immediately whispers erupted everywhere as everyone tried to come up with reasons as to why and how it happened. Even the elders could be seen whispering away but about what was beyond Neji. However, he couldn't help but notice how Gourzi was smiling. It made him feel uneasy for some reason and what was even more troubling was how they were going to deal with the elders now that Danzo was dead.

Hiashi allowed the whispers to continue for a moment before silencing them all with a hard gaze and continuing. "In light of this recent event, there seems to be some good news to come out of this."

"And what could that _possibly_ be?" Gourzi asked with a sarcastic smirk.

"Well, Tsunade-sama has awakened from her coma is reclaiming her position as Hokage." Hiashi said without missing a beat and doing his best to contain his own smirk.

It was at this moment both Neji and Hiashi saw Gourzi's face change. It was a brief flash of emotion but it was caught nonetheless. It was a moment of shock, annoyance, and possibly…anger? Neji wasn't sure but his gut was now telling him that something was up and he needed to speak with his uncle right away after the meeting if the glance Hiashi shot him was any indication.

"Well that most certainly is good news." An elder said somewhat hesitant.

"Indeed it is." Another elder said with a nod before looking at Hiashi. "Is that all you wished to tell us Hiashi-san?"

Hiashi nodded and the elders looked at each other for a moment before coming to a silent agreement.

"While we're here Hiashi-san, we'd like to discuss what happened the other day between you and Hinata-san." A younger looking man said.

Hiashi thought it over for a moment before nodding. "That is acceptable, please continue Akesuke-san."

Akesuke closed his eyes and then spoke. "Regarding what happened yesterday between you and Hinata-san during your dual, the elders and I have discussed the topic thoroughly and we have come to the decision that Hinata-san is no longer fit to lead our clan."

A deafening silence could be heard throughout the meeting room as everyone held their breaths. The only noise that probably could be heard was the sound of Neji grinding his teeth together in anger. However, he stopped immediately when Hiashi shot him a look.

"_Is he…smiling?"_ Neji asked confused.

"And why do you find that my daughter is no longer fit to lead the clan?" Hiashi asked with his eyes closed.

"Because she's been tainted with demon chakra by that _boy_." Gourzi spat out. "You saw the destruction she caused yesterday. She is too much of a liability and is in no way, shape, or form fit to be the heir to this prestigious clan."

"I see…" is all Hiashi said. Then after a moment of silence he opened his eyes and looked up at the elders with a small smile which threw everyone off. "In that case Hinata will remain the clan heir."

The elders were completely surprised by Hiashi's act of defiance and it showed on their faces.

Gourzi, however, would have none of it. "But the demon chakra-"

"-Has been completely removed from my daughter and she is recovering in the hospital at this moment." Hiashi said cutting in.

"How?" Akesuke asked.

Hiashi reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. "Naruto removed the seal on my daughter releasing the demonic chakra and then resealed it in this scroll."

"That boy most certainly is starting to live up to his name isn't he?" An elder stated more than asked.

"Regardless, how can we be sure that all of it was removed?" Gourzi prodded.

"This discussion involving my eldest daughter is over." Hiashi said evenly trying to hide his agitation. His voice held a note of finality leaving everyone to accept what he said.

Gourzi on the other hand started to become desperate. "What about your dual yesterday, she lost therefore she must be married to our choosing. This means she cannot lead our clan."

Hiashi's gazed leveled Gourzi as he stared at him hard. "If I remember correctly neither of us lost the dual yesterday. Due to unforeseen reasons the dual had to be called due to certain events. Since there was no loser, my daughter does not have to fulfill her end of the deal. _I,_ however, have decided that she is more than worthy to lead this clan when the time comes. That is my final say in this matter and I will not allow it to come up for discussion again." Looking at the rest of the clan his gaze soften somewhat. "That is all at this time, you are dismissed. Please inform your respective parties about these recent turn of events involving the Hokages."

With the meeting over everyone got up to leave with the first ones being the elders who all wore different looks on their face ranging from annoyed to enraged. Just as Neji was about to leave he heard his uncle's voice call his name.

"Neji wait a moment, I have orders for you from the Interrogation Department." Hiashi called out.

Neji was confused by this but hung back and waited for the rest of the clansmen to leave before walking over to join Hiashi.

"What are the orders, uncle?" Neji asked.

Hiashi motioned for Neji to follow him and they began to walk the halls of the Hyuuga estate.

After a minute of silence Hiashi finally spoke. "Neji, did you say anything to the girl that was just omitted into the Interrogation Department?"

Neji was shocked to hear his uncle ask such a question and even more so confused. "No uncle I didn't. What makes you ask that?"

"Because," Hiashi said stopping for a moment to look at him, "the girl specifically requested you to do the questioning." Neji's face finally betrayed him as his usual stoic mask slipped and showed his shocked expression. "Can you think of any reason why she would request you?" Hiashi asked.

Instantly Neji's memories took him back to when he saved the girls life in the hospital room. The moment they shared when pale eyes met bright red and the world seemed to slow just for an instant. They way she smiled at him, a deep gratifying smile that made something in Neji move and truly question what it had been about. He had been so caught up in thinking about the girl that he didn't even realize that he had been standing there silently for nearly a minute straight. Finally he heard his uncle say his name again and he shook his head while doing his best to contain the slight burn he was starting to feel in his face.

"Forgive me uncle; I was just trying to think of something that could have caused her to request me specifically." Neji said quickly and started to walk away.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow and followed. "So you have no idea why she asked for you?"

Neji shook his head and answered without making eye contact. "Perhaps since I saved her life she feels safer talking to me."

Hiashi was quiet for a moment but then nodded accepting the reasoning behind it. Finding themselves in front of Hiashi's office Neji took this as his sign to leave.

"I will be leaving now Hiashi-sama." Neji said with a short bow. However, before he could turn away Hiashi stopped him.

"Actually Neji, please join me for a moment. There are a few things I would like to discuss with you in private." Hiashi said with a look that told Neji everything he needed to know about what they were about to discuss.

Nodding Neji stepped into the office with Hiashi and closed the door behind him. Hiashi walked around behind his desk and channeled chakra into his hand before placing it on top of his desk. Two seals appeared on his desk and then expanded outward covering the entire room before disappearing. Neji had seen Hiashi do this before; it was a simple silencing seal and vision seal to keep prying eyes and ears from eavesdropping on private conversations. After the seals were set, Hiashi motioned to the teapot next to his desk.

"Tea?" he asked.

Neji shook his head and motioned for Neji to take a seat. Once they were seated Hiashi spoke.

"Tell me Neji, did anything seem strange about the meeting we just attended?"

Neji nodded his head. "The way Gourzi attempted to rid Hinata-sama of the title of clan heir. Not to mention the look of eagerness he displayed when you said Danzo-sama had been killed and then the look of shock and anger when you said that Tsunade-sama would be reinstated as Hokage."

Hiashi nodded in agreement. "Do you suspect that these emotions were solely displayed by him?"

Neji shook his head. "No, the other elders displayed these emotions as well but to different degrees. The only one I would say didn't would have to be Akesuke-sama."

At that moment there was a knock at the door and Hiashi smiled. "Speak of the devil." Placing his hand on the desk the silencing seal disappeared and he spoke. "Enter."

The door slid open and Akesuke entered and closed the door behind him. Turning around, he bowed to Hiashi and a slightly surprised Neji.

"Hiashi-sama, Neji-san, I hope I'm not too late?" Akesuke asked with a smile.

Hiashi shook his head and reactivated the seal. "Please, sit." He said motioning to a chair next to Neji.

Once Akesuke was seated he looked at his nephew. "Judging from your initial expression you were not expecting Akesuke to arrive for this discussion?"

Neji shook his head. "I was not aware that we could trust anyone else at the moment." He then turned and looked at the elder. "Not that I'm saying you aren't trust worthy Akesuke-sama."

Akesuke chuckled and waved it off. "It's understandable to be suspicious of everyone Neji-san, especially when there was an attempt on the heiress' life."

"Akesuke and I go way back." Hiashi said getting Neji's attention. "He is my closest friend in the Hyuuga clan, we grew up together, trained together, and well…" Hiashi trailed off as a smirk appeared on his face.

"…Got in a lot of trouble together." Akesuke finished with a chuckle.

Neji couldn't help but smile at this as he started to see his uncle in a new light. Someone that wasn't as strict as they appeared to be and apparently was a rebel and a rule breaker. Before Neji could think on this more Hiashi pulled him from his thoughts.

"Akesuke is going to be acting as the eyes and ears for us within the elders. If anything suspicious turns up he will inform us." Hiashi said.

"Speaking of which, it turns out that the elders are quite interested in that scroll you produced earlier at the meeting. I do not know why they have an interest in it but I would keep that scroll some place safe if I were you." Akesuke said as he narrowed his eyes.

"You think they might be after it?" Neji asked.

Akesuke shrugged. "Hard to say, but if the elders have taken an interest in it then it's best if we don't give them a chance to get their hands on it."

Hiashi nodded. "I will keep it on my person at all times just to be sure. Is there anything else we should be aware of?"

"No, that's all I know about as of right now." Akesuke said shaking his head. "I take it you've already discussed your suspicion of Gourzi?" Akesuke asked to which he received a nod from both of them. "Very well, I will keep an eye on him and let you know of any suspicious activities."

Hiashi nodded again and removed the seals from the room. Akesuke stood up and with a bow to both of them left the room.

"I should head over to the Interrogation Department and see what I can do there. I'll report anything I find uncle." Neji said with a short bow and left leaving Hiashi in his study alone.

* * *

><p>"…and then that's when you came in here." Naruto said as he finished catching Tsunade up to speed.<p>

It had taken Naruto and Hinata just over an hour to tell the entire story of what had happened since Tsunade had slipped into her coma. Well, it had taken Naruto over an hour to tell the story. As soon as Hinata got to the part where she stepped in to save Naruto and admitted her feelings she blushed deeply and found herself unable to talk. Luckily Naruto had caught this and saved her from the embarrassment by stepping in and finishing the story while leaving out her admittance to him out.

Tsunade closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose while sighing. "Damn it, I should have just stayed in a coma."

Naruto snickered but Hinata seemed somewhat alarmed at the statement as her eyes grew slightly.

"Yeah but look on the bright side. The village is safe, you're awake, and we have one potentially two Akatsuki members captured." Naruto said with a smile.

Tsunade simply shook her head at the young ninja but smiled nonetheless. "I suppose you're right. When will you start your training with your family?"

"As s-soon as we're o-out of the hospital." Hinata said with a small smile. She was excited for the chance to become stronger, training alongside Naruto just made it that much sweeter.

"Oh good you're here, saves me the trouble of having to repeat myself."

Everyone turned to the door to see Kakashi standing there smiling and give his signature 'Yo" wave.

"I take it Shikamaru was able to find something?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi nodded as he walked over to Naruto's bed. "He thought that what you found was suspicious so he had the Encryption Department look over the note. It was a simple medical code that took no time to decipher." He paused for a moment and looked over at Tsunade. "It's nice to see you up and moving again Tsunade-sama."

"It's good to be up, but I'm beginning to wonder if it's worth the trouble." Tsunade said as she crossed her arms. "Do you have the message?"

Kakashi nodded and pulled out a piece of paper. After clearing his throat he read it. "Meet me in two weeks at the Valley of the End. I will give information on enemy movements."

Everyone was silent as they listened to the message. Everyone was worried about the girl; she had no backup, no support, and no idea what she was getting into. It was a suicide mission in every aspect but for some reason she took it on independently.

Finally the silence became too much for Naruto. "Well then I guess we'll see her in two weeks." he said with a smile.

"That's if she manages to stay alive, Naruto." Tsunade said somewhat irritated.

Naruto smile disappeared and it was replaced with a scowl. "I can't believe I have to say this twice in one day to my superiors _and_ to the Hokage no less! You should have more faith in your student!"

Tsunade sat there stunned at being lectured by the young blonde in front of her until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she saw Kakashi smiling at her.

"It's okay, I got the same lecture earlier." he said with a chuckle.

Tsunade couldn't help but let out a short laugh and shake her head. Standing up and stretching she let out a slight groan before shuffling towards the door. When she reached it she stopped and looked at the three ninja in the room.

"I expect a full detailed report about everything that's happened on my desk by tomorrow." Tsunade said with an evil smirk.

The look of horror that appeared on Kakashi's face was next to priceless in Tsunade's opinion. But Kakashi was not about to be out done.

"You hear that Naruto? Better get to work." Kakashi said with a smile turning to look at his student.

"Haha sucks to be you- WAIT WHAT?!" Naruto shouted in confusion.

Tsunade was doing her best to containing her laughter but she was failing miserably at it. Even Hinata, who felt sorry for the work load getting dumped on Naruto, was stifling a giggle behind her hand.

"Well, most of the events that transpired involved you. Plus, you need to learn how to deal with paper work and deadlines. Think of it as…Hokage training." Kakashi said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto crossed his arms. "More like you just don't want to do it! I swear if I didn't know any better I'd say your last name was Nara!" he muttered.

"That's completely irrelevant." Kakashi said innocently.

"It's completely relevant!" Naruto shouted back waving his arms in the air.

"Doesn't matter, I'm not doing it which leaves only you." Kakashi said crossing his arms and looking away.

Naruto gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. _"Damn my loud mouth! Why did I always have to shout about wanting to be Hokage? Why couldn't I have kept it a secret?"_

"**Because you're a dumbass."** Kyuubi replied.

"_Nobody asked you asshole!"_ Naruto fired back.

"**Actually you did. You specifically said, 'why did I always have to shout about wanting to be Hokage? Why couldn't I have kept it a secret?' Both of those sentences ended with a question mark, thus making them questions. So, not only are you a dumbass, but you're a dumbass that doesn't understand basic punctuation."** Kyuubi said a-matter-o-factly.

"_Prick!"_

"**Dumbass."**

"_Teme!"_

"**Dumbass."**

"_ASSHOLE!"_

"**Dumbass." **

"_You keep saying the same thing!"_ Naruto shouted in frustration.

"**Because it pisses you off so much."** Kyuubi replied with a smile.

Hinata couldn't help but be surprised at the level of childishness the two ninja in front of her gave off, despite their reputations as being two of the most powerful shinobi in the village. Kakashi had his arms crossed and was refusing to do anything and Naruto was practically throwing a tantrum. She couldn't help but laugh at the image of the two and enjoyed the liveliness it gave the room even if it was a bit loud. It was, in her opinion, much better than the cold and quiet atmosphere at the Hyuuga household. She was pulled out of her thoughts though when Naruto finally threw his hands in the air and sighed in defeat.

"Fine," Naruto said as he looked angrily at Kakashi, "but we're doing this my way."

Kakashi shrugged. "Whatever you want."

"I want two bottles of the best rice sake." Naruto said with an evil smirk. If he was going to get stuck with the paperwork then he was definitely going to make Kakashi's wallet suffer.

"S-Sake?" Hinata asked somewhat horrified as the memories of the last time she drank came back and she started to pale.

"Yeah, if Baa-chan can do it then so can I." Naruto said with a shrug.

"I suppose we could do that for you." Kakashi said as he rubbed his chin. "Tsunade-sama, mind spli-" Kakashi stopped short as he turned to the door and saw nothing but a dust cloud remaining where Tsunade once stood.

"_Damn it, this is going to cost a lot!"_ Kakashi practically cried as his shoulders slouched and he hung his head in defeat.

"I'll get the supplies and be back in a bit." he said with a sigh as he left the room.

Naruto smiled at his small victory but it was short lived as the realization dawned on him that he had no idea as to how to do reports. Slowly his smile faded until it was replaced with a scowl and he rubbed his chin in an attempt to come up with a game plan. He was brought from his thoughts though when he heard Hinata's voice.

"A-Ano, is everything a-alright Naruto-kun?" she asked quietly.

Naruto smiled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, yeah, I just realized that I have no idea how to do reports or any kind of paperwork for that matter."

"Oh I see. D-Do you w-want s-some help?" Hinata asked meekly as she hid her blush behind her hands.

"Wait do you know how to do this stuff?" Naruto asked.

Hinata nodded. "Y-Yes. I was t-taught from a y-young age how to w-write documents, reports, and letters."

Naruto stared at Hinata in awe causing her to blush even darker. "Hime…you are amazing!" he shouted with a large smile.

"Y-You r-r-really th-think s-s-s-so?" Hinata barely got out. Her face was so hot she was afraid that the sheets she held up in front of her were about to spontaneously combust.

"Of course I do! You are always surprising me!" Naruto said with a genuine foxy smile that instantly had Hinata's head spinning.

Noticing that she had become catatonic he nervously rubbed the back of his head thinking he had said something wrong. It was at that moment he caught a whiff of his armpit.

"Woo! I need to take a shower!" he said as he gagged and waved a hand in front of his nose.

Instantly Hinata snapped out of her trance and looked at him wide eyed. "A sh-shower?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna get a quick one before Kakashi-sensei gets back with everything. I'll be in and out!" Naruto said and with that he jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom in their room.

Hinata sat there frozen as she tried to process what she just heard form Naruto. The only sound in the room was the sound of rushing water coming from the shower in the bathroom. _"He's getting a shower with me in the other room! Naruto is naked right behind that door! I wonder…"_ she trailed off as she was about to activate her Byakugan but Naruto's voice stopped her.

"You better not peek on me with those eyes!" He yelled through the door.

Hinata's eyes widened to the size of saucers as her blush returned full force. "O-O-Of c-c-c-cour-se n-n-not!" she stuttered out so horribly that she thought even Naruto would catch on to what she was about to do.

However, Naruto simply laughed at her stuttering. "I'm just joking Hime…but seriously though, no peeking!"

With that, the sound of Naruto stepping into the shower could be heard leaving Hinata to her imagination. The image of Naruto standing in a steamy shower with water rolling down his body instantly sent heat to her face and other areas of her body.

"_Oh my god I'm such a perv!"_ She thought as she shook her head and tried to preoccupy her mind with other things.

Minutes slipped by and the mixture of the warm bed and running water soon sent Hinata into a peaceful sleep filled with dreams of an adulterated nature.

* * *

><p>A half hour later Naruto finally shut the water off and reached for his towel. <em>"In and out my ass."<em> He thought as he rubbed himself down.

He really couldn't help it though. He was so sore from fighting Hinata when she was going berserk and the hot water on his muscles just felt so damn relaxing. Stepping out of the shower he hung his towel up to dry and then reached for his extra clothes on the sink counter only to find his hand grasping thin air. Naruto stared at the empty space on the counter for a moment before face palming and muttering 'idiot' to himself. Grabbing the towel he wrapped it around his waist and then poked his head out of the bathroom door.

"Hey Hinata I forgot to grab my clothes can you get them for me?" Naruto asked only to be met with silence. "Hinata? Helloooo?"

Silence remained his only answer so with a sigh he stepped out of the bathroom and cautiously walked over to their beds leaving a trail of watery foot prints. When he reached their beds he found Hinata fast asleep. Sighing in relief, Naruto grabbed his clothes and headed back towards the bathroom. However, for some reason Hinata suddenly gasped and sat up in bed breathing heavily and a blush covering her face causing Naruto to freeze in his tracks.

Hinata stared at Naruto for a moment, blinked, then stared again as she tried to understand what was happening.

"_I was having such an amazing dream…and I was so close…but I thought I woke up?"_ Hinata thought in confusion as she stared at the nearly naked form in front of her.

"Uh…I forgot my clothes." Naruto said sheepishly and with a light blush.

Hinata's eyes grew at the realization that she wasn't dreaming and blushed so red it looked as if her head was about to burst.

"O-Oh s-s-sweet k-k-kami!" Hinata shouted as she tried, and failed, to avert her eyes from Naruto.

For the first time in Naruto's life, he actually felt embarrassed being around Hinata. In an attempt to get back to the bathroom as quickly as he could he failed to notice the puddle of water his feet. In an instant Naruto's feet left the floor and his clothes went flying into the air as he sprawled across the floor, hitting the back of his head hard enough to see lights.

In an instant Hinata snapped out of her daze and was by his side. "Naruto-kun, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Naruto groaned and sat up and blinked a few times to focus his eyes. "Yeah…but man that really hurt!"

Once Hinata had helped him stand up she realized the close proximity to Naruto's body and turned around quickly to go back to her bed. However, as she took a step her foot found the same puddle of watery doom. Slipping in the same puddle of water, Hinata's feet left the ground and she went careening backwards.

Fortunately, Naruto managed to catch her bridal style before she hit the floor.

Unfortunately, due to the excessive movements Naruto's towel slipped off and fell to the floor leaving him in nothing but his birthday suit.

Fortunately, since Hinata was pressed to his chest she couldn't see anything.

Unfortunately, at that same moment visitors walked through the door.

"Nee-chan! I came to visit and I brought guests!" Hanabi sang out as she walked through the door.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he looked over his shoulder to see Hanabi, Kakashi, and Tenten in a wheelchair being pushed by a nurse stop dead in their tracks and stare at them.

Hanabi's jaw dropped, the nurse raised a hand to her mouth and gasped, Tenten let loose a whistle while blushing, and Kakashi looked from his book, to Naruto and Hinata, back to his book, and then back to them and giggled perversely.

Hinata could tell something was wrong from the way Naruto's body went ridged and the way everyone was staring at them. It wasn't until she caught sight of a fluffy white towel on the ground that she fully understood what had happened. Naruto was holding her. Naruto was naked. Naruto was naked and holding her. Naruto was naked, holding her, and pressing her tightly up against his tight cut chest. Hinata's eyes widened, her face became red, then redder, and then with a loud 'EEP!' she passed out from an overload of stimuli.

This proved to be for the best as Naruto unceremoniously tossed Hinata into her bed, reached down and wrapped the towel tightly around his waist, grabbed his clothes from the floor, and then bolted into the bathroom.

Kakashi closed his book and slipped it into his back pocket before setting the brown bag and papers down on the table beside Naruto's bed.

Turning to look at the rest of the group he smiled. "I think it's best if we come back later."

Without a single word the group nodded in agreement and left the room silently leaving an unconscious Hinata in her bed and Naruto in the bathroom slowly dying from embarrassment.


	18. The Full Dream

**Author's Note: Dear god has it been forever! I know, I know, it's been over a month before I last updated but please hear me out before you crucify me and then set me on fire. My first reason for being so late is because of Thanksgiving. Yes, I know if I was a truly kind author I would have given you an update for the holiday, but I didn't and for that I am sorry. My next reason is because I just recently got a job, or as I like to say 'resold my soul to the devil'. What I really mean is that I got a job at the Golden Arched Gateways to Hell- McDonalds. I work closing shift there and just so you all know, closing shift on a college campus is at the earliest 1 a.m. However, I am not that lucky and usually get out of there around 2. But my final reason is the most serious and most sincere…I have had the **_**WORST**_** case of writer's block ever! I honestly didn't know how to go about dropping the bombshell for this chapter and I seriously had to rewrite it three different times! Anyways, I truly am sorry for taking so long to update, it was not my intention. I must admit that I am pleased with the response from last chapter though, one of the most reviewed chapters only coming in second to the infamous chapter 8. I'm so happy that you are all enjoying this story and it is a huge honor to be writing for all of you. You all make it worth endless hours of headaches I have suffered through this past month.**

**Allytsuki: Trust me when I say that I have a scene planned out for just that encounter ;)**

**TruShadowKing: Sorry it had to be in the middle of class but I'm glad you found it funny!**

**Amane Usui: Don't worry; I planned on doing that at some point so thanks to you I'll be doing it for every chapter now **

**InfiniteDragon: It's great to be back and please forgive those mistakes; it was 3 a.m. when I did my spell check.**

**JadedRen: I was shooting for embarrassing funny so I'm glad that I nailed it. Also, so glad you finally updated your story and great job on it!**

**Ranneal: Glad you are enjoying the story so far. Also, I know that some of the things I put into this story can feel kinda filler at times but I promise everything plays a part in the story in some way. **

**Last Time**: Tsunade angrily confronted Naruto after waking from her coma but Naruto quickly saw through her front and after calling her out on it she breaks down into an emotion wreck relieved that Naruto was in fact alive and okay. After a few heartwarming minutes together, Tsunade realizes that Sakura is missing and begins asking questions not realizing that Sakura had deserted the village. At that point Naruto and Hinata begin to tell Tsunade what has happened since she has been in her coma. At the same time across the village, Neji attends a meeting with important figures from both the branch and main family. At the meeting, Hiashi tells everyone that Danzo is dead and that his assassin was Sasuke. Afterwards though, Hiashi informs the clan that Tsunade had awakened from her coma and would be retaking her position as Hokage. Before the meeting could be called though, the elders bring up the topic of whether or not Hinata is worthy of being the heir to the Hyuuga clan. When asked why the explained that they believed since she was tainted with the chakra of the Kyuubi she had no right to resume that position. Hiashi then explained that Hinata had in fact been relieved of the demonic chakra and was "clean." Gourzi then began to argue that Hinata had lost the duel and therefore had to submit to them. Hiashi then stated that Hinata had not lost the fight but it had been in fact a tie. After calling the meeting, Hiashi summoned Neji to his office where they began to discuss the reactions of the elders during the meeting. Halfway through the meeting, an elder by the name of Akesuke arrived much to the surprise of Neji. Hiashi then informed Neji that Akesuke was a long time friend of his and that he would be acting as the eyes and ears inside of the elders. Before calling the meeting to a close, Akesuke then warned Hiashi that the elders were interested in the scroll Hiashi possessed that contained the demonic chakra that was extracted from Hinata. With the secret meeting over Neji then left to report to the Interrogation Department to speak with the girl he had saved at the hospital. Back at the hospital Naruto had finished filling Tsunade in with everything that had happened when Kakashi showed up. Much to Naruto's suspicions, Sakura had indeed left a coded message that said in two weeks she would meet a contact at the Valley of the End to give information on enemy movements. Finally, Tsunade left informing that someone would have to write a report on everything that had happened to which Kakashi immediately dumped on Naruto. However, before leaving Naruto managed to sucker Kakashi into buying two bottles of sake for him. Afterwards, Naruto got a shower but forgot his clothes and had to return to the room to get them in nothing but a towel. After a series of unfortunate events that involved puddles and reduced friction, Naruto found himself naked while holding Hinata when Hanabi, Kakashi, and Tenten entered the room. Quickly throwing Hinata on the bed, Naruto grabbed his clothes and darted to the bathroom. Kakashi then dropped off the drinks and paper before leaving with everyone as Naruto slowly died of embarrassment in the bathroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: The Full Dream<strong>

In a dark cave somewhere deep in the forests on the Land of Fire's border stood two figures in a room side by side. In front of the two figures lay a third figure on a table. Covering the walls around them were over a hundred tubes containing Sharingan eyes suspended in a sickly green preserving liquid. The figure that lay on the table clenched their hands into fists as their face strained through the cloth over their eyes from some kind of pain.

"How long will this take?" Madara asked Sakura who watched Sasuke worriedly.

"The surgery will take one day to complete and another two weeks to heal entirely with me constantly apply medical ninjutsu." she answered flatly.

Madara smiled from behind his mask. "Good, that's just in time then."

"Just in time for what?" Sakura asked finally turning to look at the orange masked man.

"That is none of your concern." Madara answered flatly. "When the time is right I will tell you both."

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she glared at the man but she said nothing. Her attention was quickly drawn back to Sasuke as he practically growled in pain.

"If you two are done wasting my time, I'd like to get this over with." Sasuke hissed through his clenched teeth.

He hated feeling this helpless, like he was as powerful as an infant. The constant aching pain was starting to cause him to have a mental break down, and he could feel his emotions becoming heightened because of it. He felt as if the whole world was against him, which he already felt as if it was, but even more so now because of the constant pain in his eyes. It was as if the pain he felt was the world's way of mocking him, and he could feel the edges of his resolve beginning to wear away. He was mentally exhausted. Exhausted from all of the lying, all of the betrayal, all of the death that seemed to follow him no matter where his life went. But most importantly, he was exhausted from the need for revenge. He was tired of the emptiness he felt, tired of the pain of loneliness that ached in his chest. Revenge was becoming too taxing, even for Sasuke, and he was beginning to doubt as to whether or not he could or would ever truly accomplish it.

Sasuke had had a short life in his opinion. Short because he believed the moment his happiness was suddenly ripped away from him, his life had ended. He was now nothing more than an older empty shell of the child he used to be, completely void of all emotions and dead to the world. The world he lived in was much different from the outside consisting of nothing but loneliness, misery, and rage. Despair, anger, resentment, loneliness, all of these emotions and more he felt inside of himself but refused to let them show. His exterior had become a hardened shell that was nothing but ice and stone while on the inside his soul was spiraling down towards a despairing and chaotic darkness.

It was because of these feelings that he hated the world.

It was because of these feelings that he hated himself even more.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun, we'll begin right away." Sakura said as she placed her hands on either side of his temples and allowed chakra to run through them.

Almost instantly the aching in his eyes began to recede and a soft almost inaudible groan of relief escaped from Sasuke's lips.

"How are you doing that? Better yet, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked quietly after a moment.

"It's an anesthetic jutsu Tsunade-sama and I came up with for field operations." Sakura answered softly.

"You developed this?" Sasuke said after a pause, then added almost too himself, "….amazing."

"_Why the hell am I acting like this?"_ Sasuke berated himself._ "I sound like such an idiot saying such a ridiculous thing. The jutsu isn't that impressive at all, it's just such a damn relief to get rid of that pain."_

Sakura's voice failed her as a blush began to creep across her cheeks so she focused on the jutsu until it was finally complete.

Taking a moment to collect herself she then spoke. "I'm going to begin the operation now Sasuke-kun. The next jutsu will put you to sleep, then I'll remove your eyes and replace them with…" she trailed off as she looked over at the tube of green liquid that contained two Sharingan sitting on a tray next to them.

"…Nii-san's eyes." Sasuke finished quietly. The room suddenly felt heavy to Sasuke and he wasn't sure if it was because of the operation atmosphere or the sudden wave of guilt he felt washing over him. Unable to handle the feeling he quickly added, "Hurry up Sakura, the sooner the better."

Sakura flinched at his sudden order but she also noticed it didn't have its usual coldness about it. With a nod she began the procedure by focusing her chakra into her left hand while with the right she removed the bandage wraps from his right eye.

"_Don't worry Sasuke-kun, I'll heal all of your pain."_

* * *

><p>A soft breeze blew through the Hidden Leaf Village as the sounds of the market, repairs, and work carried through the streets. As the gentle wind continued on through the village it picked up the cries and laughter of children playing with each other and the yells of workers as repairs were being made. Continuing on, the trees rustled calmly as leaves turning red, orange, and yellow danced together portraying the image of fire that the country was aptly named after. Picking up a single red leaf, the wind carried it along with all the sounds of the village into the air and deposited them through an open window in the hospital.<p>

Naruto paused in his writing as the red leaf came to rest on the report that was in his lap. Looking over at the open window, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the village as he took a deep breath of the early autumn air and then let it out with a content sigh. He loved the sounds of the village and with the cooler temperature indicating the oncoming fall mixed with the smells of the forest that surrounded them, this truly was Naruto's favorite time of the year. Opening his eyes he then turned his gaze to the girl across from him that was still sleeping contently in her bed with a soft smile on her face. Then, for probably the tenth time in the span of five minutes, Naruto shook his head and tried to get back to writing his report.

"**You keep looking at her and you'll never get done."** Kyuubi voice said coming to the front of his mind.

"_I can't help it, so much has happened between us in such a short amount of time."_ Naruto said as once again his eyes drifted over to her sleeping figure.

"**Hmph, I'll have to agree with you on that baka."** Kyuubi said as he got comfortable and then after a pause added, **"Mind if we chat?"**

Surprised at how nice Kyuubi was acting Naruto figured he might as well humor him. Making the cross symbol with his hands a clone poofed into existence and jumped into his bed as the real Naruto stood up and stretched. Walking over to the window, Naruto could see that the finishing touches were being added to the new Hokage tower. Glancing down at the hospital's courtyard, he spied a tree with a bench underneath it. Deciding that it was as good a place as any to have his talk, he climbed out the window but not before turning to his clone to see that it was now staring at Hinata.

"Make sure you actually get some of that done." Naruto said to his clone who glanced over at him when he addressed it.

"I'll try, just find out what the furball wants." The clone replied before returning its' gaze to Hinata.

There was a moment of silence and then at the same time both Naruto's sighed. Leaping from the window, Naruto landed on the soft grass that made up the courtyard and made his way over to the tree. Completely ignoring the bench he plopped down, leaned back against the tree, and closed his eyes. Slowing his breathing down he felt the world around him slip away.

* * *

><p>Neji made his way through the Interrogation Department's hallway with Morino Ibiki leading the way. As they got closer to the holding area Neji began to wonder again why he was requested to hold the interrogation and further more why the girl was the one to request him.<p>

"Let me guess, why you?" Ibiki said.

Neji showed no surprise but asked. "Is it that obvious?"

"It's written all over your face." The scarred jounin said bluntly.

They were both silent for a moment as Neji fell back into his thought, but he quickly ran out of patience as his mind demanded an answer.

"Do you have the slightest idea why?" Neji asked.

Ibiki was silent for a moment as he thought of the possibilities. After a few seconds he broke the silence. "Most likely she's developed a sense of trust in you since you save her life."

Neji nodded his head in understanding. "It's as I thought then." Neji confirmed.

Stopping outside of a door, Ibiki turned around and looked at the Hyuuga. "I can't begin to tell you how imperative it is that you get this girl to talk. The other one is proving to be a much more difficult nut to crack than we originally planned on and time is of the essence." Ibiki then gave Neji a serious look. "Mess this up and I'll have you spilling your darkest secrets before throwing you to Anko."

Neji stared back impassively. "Save your mind tricks for more weak minded simpletons."

Walking to the door he stopped when he heard Ibiki reply, "Oh, do I detect a challenge? What makes you think you're able to stand my mind games while others can't?"

Neji glanced over his shoulder at Ibiki before allowing a small smirk to cross his lips. "Simple, I live with Hiashi."

With that Neji opened the door and entered the room leaving Ibiki alone in the hallway.

After a moment of standing there he chuckled to himself before saying, "I must be losing my touch."

Going one door down from the one Neji entered, Ibiki opened the door to find Mitarashi Anko already waiting inside. Ibiki entered the dark room and took his spot next to Anko before looking through the two way mirror window that was in front of them.

"So how did the little pep talk go?" Anko asked with a mischievous grin.

Ibiki simply grunted, wordlessly telling her to drop the subject.

"Oh you're no fun anymore!" Anko pouted as she turned her attention to the glass and watched Neji take a seat in front of the girl.

"Just focus Anko." Ibiki said tersely not in the mood for her antics. "We have a lot riding on this interrogation."

* * *

><p>Neji walked into the room and found the redheaded girl sitting behind a table strapped to a chair with seals. She looked up at him as soon as he entered the room and Neji couldn't help but notice the light burn that appeared on her cheeks. However, she quickly covered it with a scowl.<p>

"About damn time you got here!" the girl yelled in frustration. "I've been sitting here for hours waiting on your pale ass to show up!"

Neji remained stoic and unresponsive as he made his way over to the table and took his seat in front of her.

"Hey, did you hear me?" the kunoichi yelled again, irritated at being ignored. "I said-"

"-I am perfectly capable of hearing you at that volume in this size of a room." Neji interrupted by cutting her off with his hand. "However, I will not continue any further conversation with you until you have lowered your voice to an acceptable speaking level."

To say Karin was shocked would have been an understatement as her mouth just dropped at being spoken to like a child.

"Please close your mouth, it is unsightly and shows a lack of etiquette." The Hyuuga chastised.

Karin's mouth snapped shut immediately and she looked away from him to the side, partly because he was beginning to piss her off and partly because she was embarrassed. On the other side of the glass, Anko was holding her sides in pain as she laughed uncontrollably at Karin's expense while Ibiki stood there impassively watching.

Neji, noticing that the girl across from him had yet to find her voice, asked the first question. "What is your name?"

"What's it to you?!" Karin shouted angrily at him.

Seeing the impassive look on Neji's face quickly told her that she would get no response.

Lowering her head to hide the blush and the tears that threatened to spill over because she was feeling scared and vulnerable answered quietly, "Karin."

"Just Karin? No family or clan name?" Neji asked.

Instantly the pain was on Karin's face told Neji that it was a very sore subject for her. The tears were now trickling down her face and Neji could feel a small pang of guilt in his chest for causing it. Trying to change the subject, Neji asked the one question that had been eating away at him.

"Karin?" he said softly causing the girl to look up at him with tears in her eyes. "Why did you ask for me to do this interrogation?"

Karin opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly and blushed. She then glanced over at the window before opening her mouth again but still nothing came out. Getting the message, Neji stood up and activated his eyes causing Karin to shrink back in fear for a second before realizing that he was not going to attack. Deactivating his eyes Neji looked at the mirror and smirked before placing both palms on the table in front of him and pumping chakra into it. Karin watched in amazement as two seals appeared on the table and then spread throughout the room entirely before disappearing.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the glass Anko let out a cry of dismay as the window in front of them went black and the speaker ceased to carry the conversation the two were having. She was about to head for the door when she was stopped by Ibiki.<p>

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm going to tell the brat to take the seals off; we can't hear or see anything." Anko said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's the point." Ibiki said and when he saw the confused look he continued. "I know this isn't your area of expertise, but Neji seems to be somewhat proficient in psychology. He's obviously making the girl feel safe in this environment so she will open up and tell him what we need to know."

Anko just huffed and crossed her arms. "All this crap with messing with people's minds takes too much effort. I say just give me an hour with her to help loosen her tongue and then have a Yamanaka take a stab at her."

Ibiki simply rolled his eyes and ignored the snake mistress as he turned his attention back to the window and waited for Neji to deactivate the seals.

* * *

><p>"W-What was that?" Karin asked with a hint of fear in her voice as she watched the seals fade away.<p>

"Sound silencing and vision disrupting seals, nothing to be worried about." Neji answered.

Neji then walked over and released the seals that kept Karin strapped to her chair.

Taking his seat again he leaned forward and gave her a soft smile. "This conversation is now completely private so please, tell me what you don't want the others to hear."

Karin blushed again and looked at the window before looking back at Neji and getting a reassuring smile and nod from him. She rubbed her rubbed her wrists for a moment and shifted in her seat before glancing up at the Hyuuga earning her another blush.

"A-Ano…what's your name?" she asked quietly without looking up.

Neji gave another small smile. "Neji, Hyuuga Neji."

"Th-Thank you for saving my life Neji-san." Karin said meekly glancing up with her eyes but keeping her head down.

"_Kami is she cute…"_ Neji thought. His eyes quickly widened at that thought and he quickly suppressed it.

"Think nothing of it Karin; I was just doing what I was told to do." Neji said slightly emotionless. He could see the hurt that passed through the redhead's eyes so he quickly added. "Not that I wouldn't have helped if asked, I was sort of…unceremoniously coaxed into helping." As he said this he absent mindedly rubbed the front of his chest where Ino had grabbed him.

This lightened Karin's mood and she quieted a giggle with her hand as she watched Neji. This brought him out of revelations and he blushed slightly as he gave a sheepish smile.

"Anyways," Neji continued, "I was hoping you could tell me why you requested me specifically for this interrogation."

Karin's blush returned in such fiery force that it could have rivaled Hinata's. She started to fidget once again and shifted uncomfortably in her seat while Neji stared at her.

"I…" Karin started but stopped when she looked up at Neji. Looking down quickly she tried to get the words that were in her head to form in her mouth. "I…w-wanted to…to s-say that…"

"_Damn it, just say it already!"_ Karin shouted in her head.

Taking a deep breath Karin closed her eyes and shouted it all at once. "I wanted to say thank you for saving my life!"

Karin realized she had yelled the entire thing and clamped her hand over her mouth while blushing a red that matched her hair. Not only had she failed to tell him what she wanted but also succeeded in yelling the wrong thing. Neji for his part didn't seem to mind though.

"You're welcome, Karin." Neji said with another smile. "I'm glad that I was there to help when I was." As he said this Karin looked up at him, "You remind me of a dear friend of mine." His smile never leaving his lips.

"And who is this friend of yours?" Karin asked quietly as red eyes stared into pale lavender.

Neji smirked. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Karin tried to hide her surprise but was unable to stifle the gasp that escaped her lips. Instantly Neji's eyes narrowed and the smirk left his lips. After staring at her for a moment he finally placed his hands on the table and released both seals before speaking.

"Judging from your reaction you are familiar with the name?"

Karin gave a hesitated nod.

"How?" Neji asked a little harsher than he meant too causing Karin to flinch.

"S-Sasuke mentioned him." Karin stuttered out.

"So you admit that you know Sasuke?" Neji asked to which he received a nod so he continued. "Did you work with him?"

A brief scowl crossed Karin's face. "At first I did, he came to me while I was still working at one of Orochimaru's hideouts and asked me to leave with him." She trailed off as that fateful day returned from her memories.

"So you also admit that you worked for Orochimaru. Were you aware that he was a wanted ninja?"

Karin's mouth became a thin line. "Yes I was aware."

"Did you work for him willingly or were you forced under his control." Neji asked.

Karin stiffened for a moment but then answered. "I worked for him willingly."

Neji's eyes narrowed as he did his best to hide the contempt on his face but it was futile. Seeing Neji's look a scowl crossed Karin's face before glaring back at him.

"I was an orphan, no family, no friends, no one to take care of me. I was alone and starving when Orochimaru found me and took me in." Karin said and as she continued her voice grew louder. "Orochimaru fed me, gave me shelter and training. Yes, I know he was a wicked man but he was the only person I had in my life! The only person that I thought ever closely resembled family! So go ahead and sit there judging me, condemning me for following an evil man because he was the only person in my life! It's easy to sit there and point the finger when you have no idea what I've been through!"

At this point Karin was shouting at the top of her lungs in anger, frustration, and fear. She was terrified of what they might do to her for being an associate to a man like Orochimaru. She was scared that they would lock her away and once again she would feel the loneliness that consumed her as a child. Death, in Karin's opinion, was far better than loneliness. She felt so strongly about this that she couldn't help as tears began to spring from her eyes. It wasn't long before she was reduced to sobbing and trying her best to get her breathing under control.

"Y-You don't k-know what it's l-like…w-what it's like t-to be lonely…t-to have n-no one there f-for you." Karin sobbed quietly as she lowered her head down on the table and covered her face with her arms.

The two sat there in silence with the only sounds being sniffling and quiet sobs coming from Karin. She was so emotionally distraught that she almost didn't hear Neji when he started to speak.

"I don't know loneliness? I couldn't possibly understand what it's like to have no one in my life? Never could I begin to understand what it felt like to lose someone important to me?"

Karin looked up slowly to see Neji staring past her, looking through the walls of the room they were in at some point far beyond them.

"I lost my mother when she gave birth to me." Neji said quietly. "Five years later I lost my father when he sacrificed his life to save my uncle's. As a result I resented the main branch and pushed everyone away from me. I know loneliness Karin; I know how it hurts and what it can do to a person. Because of that loneliness I blamed my uncle and even my cousin for my father's death and came to hate them." Neji paused for a moment to shift his gaze from the past to look at Karin.

Karin stared at Neji in awe, amazed that he could so easily relate to her and wanting more than ever to learn more about her savior.

"I do not hate you for following Orochimaru, Karin. Nor do I have any contempt or distain for you seeing that man as family. We are all human and we all seek companionship in one way or another, it is only natural. The disgust you saw upon my face was for Orochimaru. To think that a man would take advantage of a fragile, vulnerable, innocent girl and change her enough to think of him as family when he would so easily dispose of you when it was convenient for him is simply unforgivable."

Hearing this sent Karin into another wave of sobs as her head sank to the table in defeat. It was true, all of it was. She wasn't naïve, she knew that Orochimaru would kill her if it served useful in some way and yet she continued to look up to the man. She hated herself so much for that reason and it sickened her. She was so depressed and lost in her emotions that she didn't even notice Neji moving until his hand clasped firmly around hers. Jerking her head to look up into his pale eyes, Karin blushed even though she had tears in her eyes at the contact the two were having.

"Karin," Neji said softly getting lost in her crimson eyes, "The only difference between you and I is that I have destroyed my loneliness. I righted the wrongs I made in the past and now I look to the future with the family I have been given back and the friends I have made along the way." Giving her hand a gentle squeeze he said, "Karin, it's time for you to destroy your loneliness… It's time for you to right the wrongs you have done and look forward to the future…Karin, will you let me help you do that?"

Karin's blush deepened even more because of the look Neji was giving her. She wanted so desperately to look forward to the future and no longer feel alone in the world. Even though she had only just met him, she believed that Neji could finally help her reach that goal. Although she didn't trust her voice Karin forced herself to speak nonetheless.

Giving Neji's hand gentle squeeze back she looked into his eyes before giving a small nod and softly saying, "Yes, please help me."

Neji gave a small but genuine small before releasing her hand and saying, "I think that will be all for the day. We can continue tomorrow if you'd like?"

Karin simply nodded her head as she watched him walk to the door.

Neji gave her another smile. "Then I will see you tomorrow…Karin-chan." With that, Neji left the room leaving a furiously blushing Karin behind.

Stepping out into the hallway, Neji was surprised when he met a brooding Ibiki with his arms crossed and an Anko with hearts in her eyes. Although she was staring down Neji like a piece of meat, he did his best to ignore the looks he was getting and addressed Ibiki.

"Is there anything else you need from me?"

Ibiki shook his head before grumbling, "Not unless you want to take _her_ home with you."

Sweating slightly Neji backed up a few steps before turning around quickly and saying, "Sorry, but Hiashi-sama doesn't allow us to keep pets."

Anko snapped out of her spell long enough to shout after him. "Hey, I don't bite…much!" Then after a pause an evil grin appeared and she sighed. "If only he was a few years older."

Ibiki rolled his eyes grumbled something about women before leaving Konoha's deranged snake mistress to her fantasies.

* * *

><p>Naruto opened his eyes when the sound of running water reached his ears. When he did this he found himself next to the same Kio fish pond except this time there was a fountain in the center made of gold that resembled an old ornate carving of a fox with its mouth open. From its' mouth it shot water up a few feet before falling back down in a spray that resembled a light summer's rain. Shifting his gaze, Naruto then noticed that a few trees had been cleared away and in their place stood a much larger weeping willow. However, the most noticeable change in his mindscape was the dark overcast that filled the sky and the constant breeze that blew through the trees. Naruto then noticed that none of the birds that were usually flying around and singing were out.<p>

Returning to his feet, Naruto made his way to the willow tree and found Kyuubi lying lazily there dozing underneath the drooping branches. Walking up to Kyuubi, Naruto took a seat in front of him and waited for the fox to say something. However, after a minute of staring and silence Naruto's patience quickly reached its' limit.

Clearing his throat Naruto said irritated. "You know saying you want to talk and then not saying anything when I show up doesn't exactly help you in the future when you have something to say."

Kyuubi gave an irritated sigh before opening his eyes and looking at his keeper. **"Listen baka, if there's one thing you could probably learn its patience, but that's not why I wanted to talk to you."**

"Then what is it?" Naruto asked cocking his head to the side slightly.

"**I take it you've noticed the changes around here?"** Kyuubi asked crossing his paws and resting his head on them.

"I have." Naruto said as he nodded his head.

"**And what do you think"** Kyuubi asked.

"Honestly the gold is too flashy for my taste and the design is a little gaudy, but then again your style has always been questionable." Naruto admitted as he shrugged his shoulders.

"**I meant the weather not the damn fountain!"** Kyuubi shouted as he face palmed.

"Oh." Was all Naruto could say and then after a moment added, "Yeah I was wondering about that too."

"**Oh for Kami's sake…"** Kyuubi muttered to himself miserably as he shook his head.

Kyuubi was about to let loose a string of insults, but before he could, a particularly strong breeze blew through the trees around them causing the two to look up. The clouds seemed to darken slightly and looked as if they were about to burst any second with rain.

"**Kit you are way too depressed right now."** Kyuubi said turning his attention from the sky to Naruto, who did the same as well.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked confused but somewhat evasive.

"**This mindscape is directly linked to your mind and your feelings."** Kyuubi explained. **"Therefore, if something is bothering you this place will reflect your feelings. So if you're happy then it's all sunshine and rainbows, but if you're upset then it's gloomy and probably rainy. I can tell that you're depressed about something because when you were younger the sewers you kept me in originally were always wet and smelled horrible."** Kyuubi paused and then added as an afterthought.** "However, now that I think about it, it's probably safe to assume that the cause of the smell was because of that god awful ramen addiction you had." **

Naruto stared at the fox in front of him for a moment while rubbing his chin before saying slowly. "From what I remember the sewers were always wet and stinky."

"**My point exactly."** Kyuubi said with a nod.

"What point?" Naruto muttered to himself as he deadpanned.

"**We're getting off topic here."** Kyuubi said as he waved him off and sat up. **"Naruto, what is it that's troubling you? You can't concentrate on any present tasks and while I can usually follow your emotions when I want, I can't seem to do so now."**

Naruto sat there in shock, surprised that Kyuubi was being so openly honest and seemingly concerned for him. "What's with you fox?" Naruto asked slightly suspicious. "Since when do you get concerned and worried about me?"

"**Don't get a big head baka."** Kyuubi growled in irritation. **"I've come to accept that I won't be escaping any time soon in the foreseeable future so I might as well ensure that your dumbass survives. If you get caught then that means I'll become a slave to that Uchiha bastard again. I'll take you over him any day of the week even if it means having an idiot for a jailer."**

"Just when I thought I was finally making progress with you." Naruto pouted as he turned away from the fox and crossed his arms. However, after a moment he glanced over his shoulder and cracked open an eye. "But then again, I think someone is actually just a big softy deep down inside and is afraid to show it."

"**You can't be serious?!"** Kyuubi asked stunned and slightly pissed.

A mischievous smile crept across Naruto's face as he stood up and started moving towards Kyuubi with his arms up like he was about to pounce. "Oh come on, don't tell me all that fur is just for show?"

As he said this he slowly crept closer and closer to the fox while Kyuubi just stared at the audacity and the idiocy that Naruto displayed.

"Deep down inside I bet you're just as fuzzy and warm as that fur you have on the outside." Naruto giggled.

"**Are you touched in the head?"** Kyuubi asked suddenly concerned about his keeper's mental stability.

Naruto ignored the fox's insult and crept even closer as his smile got even bigger and more ridiculous. "Come on Kyuubi, give me a hug and I bet you'll feel ten times better. Let's tear down those furry defensive walls of yours."

Finally within range Naruto pounced. "Come to Naru-"

"**-Never in a fucking million years."** Kyuubi said evenly and without even batting an eyelash as he smacked Naruto out of the air with one of his tails and sent him sailing into the trunk of the willow tree with a dull thud.

Naruto slid down the trunk before falling off onto his back. Staying there, he stared up through branches of the tree and watched as the dark clouds continued to endlessly roll across sky. Kyuubi noticed that Naruto didn't jump up and start insulting him like he would usually do. Instead, he just lay there silently staring up at the sky. The sudden shift in emotion confused Kyuubi and slightly put him on edge. His entire demeanor had changed and he now lay there with a serious, contemplative, and even somewhat sad look on his face. An uneasy silence fell over the two as the only sound heard was the wind through the trees.

Finally, after nearly five minutes of silence Naruto spoke. "You know…at first I was really happy when I found out I had living relatives." Kyuubi looked over at Naruto but said nothing. "I thought that…well, I thought that maybe things would finally start going my way. Thought that maybe I would finally be able to be truly happy."

Kyuubi turned his gaze away from Naruto and looked out to the pond. **"Anyone would think that, but not you?"** he stated more than asked.

Naruto chuckled humorlessly as his mask cracked and fell away showing his true self for once. Nobody had ever seen this side of Naruto before except for one person, Jiraiya. They had become so close in his three years as the Sannin's apprentice and Jiraiya was the only one Naruto had felt comfortable enough with to truly let down his guard. Not even Kyuubi had ever seen this side of his jailer before and the cynical more distant Naruto was a slightly off putting if not concerning.

"My life has taught me many things and you, more than anyone, know that." Naruto said with a humorless smirk. "I was scorned and ignored as a child because I was the vessel for you, the Kyuubi. I was ridiculed and made fun of because I wasn't as smart as everyone else. Now? Now I'm the brilliant and tactful hero who saved the village from total destruction. Knowing Kami's sick sense of humor and how things have worked out so far, I wouldn't be surprised if Jihibiki-jii and Renge-obaa were taken from me here soon."

Kyuubi looked back at his container in shock, but then narrowed his eyes. **"That's very morbid, even more so coming from you, Naruto."**

Naruto shrugged. "But you don't disagree do you, because in the end it will probably happen."

As he said as he turned and looked at Kyuubi. His eyes were completely different from his usual sparkling bright blue ones. Gone were the eyes that always held so much joy and life to them and never seemed to stop smiling. Instead, his eyes were now cold and distant. The kind of eyes a veteran has after returning from war where death and destruction surrounded him and he watched his friends die right before his eyes. These were the eyes of someone that had known nothing but pain and loneliness for most of their lives. It was a look that concerned Kyuubi and he suddenly felt an urge to say something.

"**Everyone dies eventually kit, that's why it's important that you have people that can be there for you when you need them the most."**

Another humorless chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he returned his gaze back to the dark and now oppressive sky. "Friends…I worked so hard to have friends…I wanted the loneliness to go away. I wanted to laugh not cry. So I worked my ass off to get people to finally accept me and now I have so many friends that I would do anything for, even die, just to protect them."

As he this a small yet sad smile crossed his lips.

However, the smile quickly vanished as he continued. "But, no matter how many friends I have at the end of the day it's still just me alone, by myself, at my apartment. No one else, just…me…"

"**Kit…"** Kyuubi wanted to say something, anything, to cheer the blonde up but words continued to fail him. So deciding that this was something that Naruto needed to get off of his chest, Kyuubi simply sat there and listened.

"I'm tired of feeling alone Kyuubi." Naruto said as tears started to form in his eyes. "I'm tired of feeling like there's no one else out there that will love me." The tears in his sad eyes quickly overflowed and began to stream down the sides of his face. As if on cue, the skies opened up and began to rain.

"Why can't I find this feeling?" Naruto asked quietly. "Why is it I feel like I'm not supposed to have this one feeling?"

"You have your grandparents Naruto." Kyuubi said as he looked out at the rain from the shelter of the tree. "You have that old Senju hag as well. Iruka, Kakashi, all of your friends. They love you."

Naruto let a small smile onto his lips at the thought of them. "True, but I want more than just that." Kyuubi raised an eyebrow at Naruto in confusion. "I want a home where I belong. I want…someone I can…love back."

Suddenly flashes of lavender eyes and midnight blue hair appeared in his mind. He remembered the fear that seized his heart when he saw her going into a tailed beast berserk, and the pain he felt when he thought that Nagato had killed her. He remembered the soft lavender scent that surrounded her and the beautiful laugh she had that was so full of life. He remembered her eyes that looked at him so full of hope and care, eyes that depended on him to not just save her but stay safe himself. He remembered…

"_I love you, Naruto-kun."_

"Hinata…" he whispered to himself causing Kyuubi to jerk his head towards Naruto and narrow his eyes.

The rain suddenly stopped and the clouds started to lose their darkness as the wind died down.

"**What did you say?"** Kyuubi growled.

"Hinata..." Naruto said again as his eyes seemed distant.

Kyuubi growled again. **"Get that idiotic idea out of your fucking head right now. There's no way it will ever work."**

When Naruto heard Kyuubi say this he felt something deep inside snap, as if the last bit of his tolerance had finally been erased. Feeling his anger boiling to the surface Naruto turned and glared at the fox with such ferocity that Kyuubi actually flinched a little.

"What do you have against Hinata?" Naruto asked in a dangerously low voice as he shook with building anger.

Suddenly the clouds darkened again and thunder could be heard rolling through the heavens. Rain began pouring down in torrents and the wind picked up again, blowing in much stronger gusts that caused the trees to sway side to side.

Kyuubi glared back at Naruto and bared his teeth. **"She's a weak, worthless, pathetic excuse of a human life. She does nothing but drag others down because of her own incompetence. She's a liability to everyone and a sorry excuse for a ninja."**

All was silent for a moment. The wind died down, the rain slowed, and the thunder ceased all for a split second. The next second the wind blasted back through with such force it began ripping trees from the ground. The rain began pouring down so hard that the area around them began to form small rivers. Thunder boomed so loud over head that the sound could be felt vibrating within the two's chests. And the most unearthly cry of rage could be heard as it erupted from Naruto's throat.

In a flash Naruto closed the distance between Kyuubi and himself before crashing his hand into Kyuubi's throat and choke slamming him into the ground. Kyuubi lay there in shock as he stared into the rage etched face of his jailer, words failing to form in his mouth.

"LIES!" Naruto's voice boomed furiously as he squeezed down on Kyuubi's throat. "Every word you have said about her is a lie! Tell me why you continue to put her down! Tell me why you continue to speak of her with such distaste and hate!"

"**FOOL! DO YOU FORGET WHO I AM?"** Kyuubi shouted back as his fuse finally went out. Wrenching Naruto's hand off of his throat he sent him flying away with a backhand.

Growing to his full height he towered over Naruto and boomed. **"I am the demon king, the Kyuubi, and I have no concern over your pathetic human emotions! I am indifferent to any and all feelings you have except for one: hate! Not that despicable thing you call love!"** Suddenly Kyuubi grew even more agitated. **"Don't ever think that you will find someone to love! It is nothing but a fool's errand! Face it, since you were born you were fated to live a lonely life of solitude, never to know the comfort of love and affection. It's you and me against this detestable world."**

Kyuubi then paused for a moment before dropping the final bombshell. **"If you pursue this ambition to find love…"** he said leaning down to look into Naruto's eyes. **"…then the prophecy that those slimy amphibians foretold will come to pass, but not in the way you hope for."**

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. "Th-The prophecy? You mean the one…"

"**Yes, the one where you bring about the destruction of the world."** Kyuubi finished.

Naruto felt a little of his anger die down but he continued to glare at the beast in front of him.

"You're lying." He growled. "Why should I believe anything you say?! I can't trust you!"

Kyuubi seeing that he wasn't convinced decided to take it one step further and show Naruto what would happen. Something he had been trying to accomplish since the very beginning but had failed to do even though he was so close many times.

"**Very well, Naruto."** Kyuubi said as he sat back and brought his hands together to form what looked like the same hand sign Naruto used when entering sage mode. **"See for yourself what will happen."** As Kyuubi said this he closed his eyes.

For a few moments nothing happened, but just when Naruto was about to ask what the big deal was the air around him warped into darkness. Looking around him, Naruto felt as if he was suspended and weightless but he found the all consuming black that surrounded him a little concerning. However, it didn't last long as something started to appear in front of him. At first he couldn't make it out, but after a few more seconds he could finally see clearly and when he did he felt his stomach drop.

Naruto was standing in the white washed hallways of the hospital he had seen countless times in his dreams, and this time he was sure he was finally going to see the end of it. This all suddenly changed when he took his first step into the hallway and the lights suddenly cut out. He stood there in pitch black darkness for a split second before red emergency lights kicked on washing everything in a faint sea of crimson light. Taking a deep breath, Naruto began walking down the hallways and noticed that with each step the lights, walls, and doors seemed to flicker in and out of existence. He felt as if he shouldn't have been there, that this dream he was having was being forced upon him and his mind was doing everything it could to prevent it from happening. An uneasiness in his stomach set in as he reached closer to his destination.

Walking slowly down the hallways, he turned this way and that until he saw the door to the room he was looking for. However, with each step he took he felt somewhere in the back of his mind something telling him to stop. As he got closer and closer his pace slowed more and more as the feeling in his head got more urgent and frantic. Finally finding himself in front of the door he tried to calm his now erratically beating heart that was so desperately trying to escape from his chest. On the other side of the door he could hear the muffled and panicked shouts of people most likely trying to save whoever it was that was dying on the table. Reaching out an unsteady hand for the doorknob, he was just about to place his hand on it he felt his mind screaming inside of his head to stop. Pausing for a split second, Naruto's face glistened with sweat as he attempted to make sense of what his mind was so desperately trying to tell him.

"Let's go Dobe, it's now or never."

Naruto's eyes widened as he looked over to left to see Sasuke leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Sasuke?" was all Naruto could get out.

Righting himself, Sasuke walked up to Naruto and looked at him for a moment before saying, "You look like hell."

Naruto was about to spout of an insult when Sasuke cut him off. "Come on, from what Sakura has told me, you need to get in there."

Moving in front of him Sasuke opened the door and then motioned Naruto to go inside. Feeling his feet move on their own Naruto walked in and made his way to the center of the room with Sasuke following close behind. As he moved Naruto could hear Sakura talking quickly to someone else behind the curtain that hid the hospital bed. It was then that Naruto recognized the second voice to be none other than Tsunade's.

For some reason Naruto could feel anxiety building up in him with every step he took towards the curtain. Every footfall was marked by a greater feeling of impending dread. Every movement spread panic through his body because of what he would finally see on the other side. Each step caused the voice in the back of his mind to scream louder and louder for him to stop. By the time he finally reached the curtain the feeling was so overwhelming that he could barely breathe and his whole body was shaking from a feeling of fear at what would meet his eyes. However, the panicked voice of Sakura and Tsunade proved to be too much so ignoring the voice Naruto reach out and yanked the curtain back.

The screaming in Naruto's mind stopped the instant the curtains were pulled back and the scene in front of him met his eyes. The first thing that he noticed was Sakura and Tsunade working feverishly over the patient as they tried their best to stabilize the unfortunate soul. The two were standing side by side in a way that blocked the entire upper half of the patient leaving their identity a mystery. The next thing he noticed was the large amount of blood that seemed to be everywhere; covering the patient's lower body, the bed, and even dripping down to the floor causing small oceans of crimson to wash over the white tiles. However, Naruto's attention was drawn back to the two doctors when he heard Tsunade speak in a defeated tone.

"Let it go Sakura, there's nothing we can do."

Unable to control her emotions any longer, Sakura let out a cry of frustration that had anger, sorrow, and dismay all wrapped into one and threw the scalpel she was holding across the room imbedding it into the wall. Shaking uncontrollably, Sakura burst into tears before sinking to her knees. Sasuke then took this moment to walk past Naruto and kneel down next to Sakura before wrapping her in a hug to which she desperately clung to as she cried.

It was then Naruto was able to see the injury that the two were trying to heal, a massive gaping hole in the abdomen. The amount of blood that Naruto saw made him sick to his stomach and even more so when he could see the destroyed remains of organs and bone. He then heard the voice in his head again, this time begging quietly for him to just turn around leave. Turning his gaze away from the wound Naruto's eyes traveled up the body of the woman, he judged because of the chest, to where the face should have been. However, Tsunade was standing just in front of the woman's head blocking her face from view. When he made eye contact with the Hokage she began walking slowly towards him. When she finally reached him she put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice quivering. Tears formed in her brown eyes before streaming down her face. "We did everything we could."

Naruto looked away from Tsunade to the person in bed and felt his entire body seize up to the point where he couldn't breathe. His eyes widened in shock and fear, his body began to shake uncontrollably and the outside world came to a screeching halt as his vision tunneled onto the face of the woman he cared so much about. His breath hitched as he struggled against his tightening throat to say her name.

"Hina…ta…?"

**Oh am I evil or what?! Talk about a cliff hanger. You may have questions about Kyuubi's constant mood swings but there is a reason for that and I will be revealing it soon. Anyways, I hope this makes up for the long absence and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon now that this monstrosity of a writer's block is gone. Please let me know what you think everyone! Until next time!**


	19. F F!

**A/N: Hey guys, decided to bust out this new chapter for you just before the holidays so Merry Christmas and/or Happy Holidays! Now you'll probably notice that this chapter is long. Longer than usual. To be honest the longest chapter to date. Why, you ask? Multiple reasons but here are a few. 1) I was so incredibly done with this whole hospital scene. Honestly I was starting to feel trapped there just like Naruto does. 2) This chapter has everything: drama, comedy, suspense, a dash of citrus (yes, I'm serious), and lot's of NaruHina fluff. 3) After this chapter things will begin to pick up so I wanted to get just a little more down time with the character's relationships before the action starts rolling again. **

**Now this chapter might seem a little all over the place. If it does, I'm sorry. I debated on breaking this into two chapters but I just couldn't bear the thought of having another chapter in the hospital. Honestly, I was feeling claustrophobic. Personally I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out though and I feel like I especially nailed the interactions between Naruto and Kyuubi as well as with Naruto and Hinata.**

**Thank you for the reviews from last chapter everyone. They made me extremely happy to see that you were all excited by the sudden twist in the story. I can assure you that in this chapter the twist will only get more twisted so hang on! As usual, please review, especially for this chapter since I'm excited to see what your reactions will be. As roamer79 said it best, reviews are the life blood of an author. Anyways, here's the chapter, enjoy!**

**Last Time:** Sakura began her surgery on Sasuke to replace his eyes with Itachi's. After asking her how long it would take, Sakura replied about two weeks to which Madara seemed pleased to hear. However, refusing to go into details he told Sakura that when the time came he would tell her his plan. In Konoha, Naruto was having difficulty focusing on his report so he took some time to speak with Kyuubi. After getting into an extremely aggressive fight with Kyuubi, the demon forced Naruto to finally experience the unfinished dream he kept having in full. Walking into the room, Naruto finally found the identity of the person that was on the hospital bed to be Hinata. At the same time at the Interrogation Department, Neji was questioning Karin on her background. After managing to get her to open up about her past, the two shared a rather unique experience together. Leaving for the day, Neji said he would return the next day to question her further which Karin found herself looking forward to. Now, one to this chapter!

**Chapter 18: Fuck Fate!**

"Hina…ta…?"

Naruto found himself rooted to the spot where he stood as he took in the broken and frail form of the girl that had come to mean so much to him. He felt many things, but in the pit of his stomach he felt a nauseous feeling beginning to build up in him. A sickening feeling that made Naruto want to throw up, not out of disgust but because in his mind he was being overwhelmed by an uncontrollable fear from what he was seeing. Although his eyes saw it, his mind refused, rejected, even fought the very idea that Hinata was dying in front of him. He couldn't breathe, his body went numb, his hands began to shake, and his knees suddenly became weak. His eyes grew wider and wider as the realization set in that what he saw was real, and no matter how much he refused to believe it, the scene before him would not go away.

Hinata's head turned slightly to the side when she heard Naruto say her name. As her eyes fell upon him they brighten slightly at seeing her love standing there before they saddened. Not because she was dying but because she felt as if she had failed him in some way. It was so strong that it was almost palatable in the room. With what little strength Hinata had remaining, Naruto watched as she lifted her frail arm and held it out to him.

"Naruto-kun..." She whispered.

Naruto didn't remember moving but suddenly he found himself at her bedside clasping the hand she held out to him in his.

"Naruto-kun…I'm sorry." She said weakly as her pale lavender eyes stared into his misting blue ones. They held a great sadness in them that only he could relate to, but he couldn't understand why he saw it there.

"Shhh, it's okay Hime." Naruto said quietly as he attempted to smile. "Save your strength so Sakura and Baa-chan can fix you up, okay?"

Hinata closed her eyes and shook her head slightly before looking at him again. Although her eyes held great pain she managed a weak smile to grace her lips. "Thank you…Naruto-kun."

"For what?" Naruto barely choked out as a lump rose in his throat and he struggled to breathe. The way she looked at him made his heart flutter and tore it apart at the same time.

Moving his hand to press up against her cheek, she looked up at him as tears filled her saddened eyes. "For making me…the happiest woman…alive."

It was at that point Naruto saw the most beautiful gold ring he had ever seen on Hinata's hand. Carved into the ring, in great detail, was a fox with its mouth open and sporting nine tails. It was wrapped around the entire ring so it look as if it were chasing its' own tails and carved so meticulously it was the ring itself. The amount of detail was truly stunning but his eyes widened as they traveled from her hand down to his very own and saw a matching ring around his finger as well. Suddenly, Naruto felt as if he had a mountain crushing down on top of him. Falling to his knees, he gripped Hinata's hand and held it against his face as tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Please," Naruto begged quietly from the bottom of his heart as he tightly closed his eyes. "Please don't leave me."

He felt Hinata's hand caress his cheek softly and he leaned into it before looking up into her own tear stricken eyes. "I'm sorry koishii…I'm sorry that I…wasn't…strong enough…for the…both…of us."

"You are strong!" Naruto said softly through tears as he held her hand against his cheek. "I'm fine, so please get better."

"No…" Hinata said sadly as more tears fell down her face. "I failed us…"

Naruto didn't understand what she meant until he noticed she had shifted her other hand to rest it gently over her stomach. At first he was confused by her action but then it suddenly all made sense as it finally hit home.

They were married _and_ Hinata was pregnant. Naruto finally had everything he ever wanted: someone to love and that loved him in return. Someone he could build his own family with, that he could love, protect, and watch grow. But now it was being torn away from him. As soon as he learned that he finally had what he wanted most it was being ripped away from him in an instant.

Unable to see any longer because of his tears, Naruto stood up and pulled Hinata to him. Slipping one arm under her neck to carefully cradle her he brought the other one up to place it on her cheek. Putting their foreheads together he spoke.

"Please don't leave me." he begged again as he began to sob uncontrollably. He could feel his very soul being torn apart. "Please for the love of God Hinata, don't leave me. I can't…I can't do this without you."

"Naruto…" Hinata said somewhat strained even as quiet as it was.

Pulling back his head slightly, Naruto looked into the teary pale lavender eyes of his wife.

"Don't ever…forget." Hinata said softly as her breathing became shallow. "That I…will always…love…you."

As the words left Hinata's lips so did the light from her eyes leaving them dull and distant.

"Don't go." He whispered back in agonizing pain as he put his head back against hers.

Tightening his hold on his wife's body he couldn't help it as his own shook uncontrollably and he repeated it over and over again, convinced that if he said it enough he could bring her back, bring his family back. Finally, after several minutes he tilted his head back and let loose an agonizing soul wrenching scream that was filled with pain, loneliness, and frustration.

As Naruto screamed, the world around him dissolved away into darkness leaving him suspended in a black void again. It took him several minutes to calm down and get his breathing back under control, but he finally managed to regain his composure even if he still felt shaken to the core. Then, as quickly as the world around him had disappeared a new one reappeared, except this time Naruto saw himself. For the next few minutes he watched as his life flashed before his eyes in fast forward.

He saw himself standing in front of two graves, one normal headstone and a tiny one next to it. He watched as he locked himself away in isolation and refused to see his friends. He watched himself as bags grew under his eyes and he slept less and less while the presence around him lost all of its life, becoming cold and dark. He watched as he defeated the Akatsuki and Madara at the cost of thousands of others' lives and didn't even feel one bit of sadness for them. He watched as he finally snapped and deserted the village, only to have Sasuke and the others go after him. And then he watched as he killed his best friend when he finally caught up and confronted him.

However, the worst vision came last as Naruto watched himself return to the very village he had sworn to protect and release the Kyuubi, allowing it to run rampant and raze the village to the ground killing everyone that lived there.

Through all the visions Naruto tried to stop them, to say something, to call out to someone but all that left his throat was silence. He tried to scold himself angrily when he slammed the door in Sakura's face and sent her away crying. He called out to Tsunade in loneliness to stop as she left him standing in front of the graves of his wife and child. He cried out helplessly as he watched countless shinobi fall but didn't even bat an eye. He screamed in despair as he killed Sasuke, and he shouted in agony as he watched his beloved village burn to the ground around Kyuubi. Yet no matter how loud he tried to be, no matter how much he struggled, no matter how hard he fought no sound escaped his lips. Struggling to be heard but not being acknowledged by anyone Naruto felt himself begin to slip into despair.

As the world of his mindscape returned around him, Naruto slumped to his knees as his eyes glazed over and his mind tried to process everything.

After a moment of silence Kyuubi finally spoke. **"You have now seen what will come to pass if you continue to pursue this relationship with the Hyuuga. Tell me; is that brief moment of happiness truly worth the endless suffering and pain? Is it worth the destruction of the world?"**

Looking out into the rain Kyuubi said softly, **"You and I both know it isn't. Our lives are ones meant to be filled with loneliness. We can never permit others to get close to us in such ways as you desire." **

Turning his head back to look at Naruto, Kyuubi's face held one of remorse. **"I'm sorry you had to see that Naruto. I never wanted to show you but you left me no choice. Your subconscious fought me every step of the way but in the end it admitted defeat because it knew I was right."**

Naruto remained silent, giving no indication that he heard the fox. However, he did hear him and it only sent Naruto spiraling down further into despair.

"_This isn't fair."_ Naruto thought bitterly. _"Am I truly meant to be alone in this world? Is there no other companion for me other than Kyuubi?"_

At this thought Naruto finally shifted his gaze up to look at the fox before him.

"_Will wanting a relationship with Hinata, prove to be her downfall as well as the worlds?"_ A sudden wave of guilt and sadness washed over Naruto. _"It isn't fair…why do I have to have this burden?"_ He asked himself angrily as he looked down and felt the sting of tears in his eyes.

"_Why do I have to have this fate?!"_ he asked himself desperately.

Suddenly memories of the chunin exams flashed in Naruto's mind and he remembered the conversation he had with Neji. He remembered how bitter Neji was over fate, and believed that no one could change it. Most importantly though, Naruto remembered showing Neji that they were in control of their own fates. They were in charge of their own destinies. It didn't matter what others said, the only thing that mattered was what you decided.

"_Guess I better take my own damn advice then." _Naruto thought with a smirk.

The smirk did not go unnoticed as Kyuubi asked. **"What's so funny?"**

"That was a neat little trick you just did there." Naruto said standing slowly and then looking Kyuubi in the eyes. "Tell me, now that it's over will you stop invading my dreams with it so I can get a decent nights rest?"

Kyuubi saw the old glint of determination return to his keeper's eyes and growled. **"She will die and so will everyone else that you love."**

"Maybe." Naruto said with a shrug. "But then again, maybe not."

"**Baka! Are you saying that what I just showed you means nothing to you? That your very fate means nothing?!" **Kyuubi asked in outrage.

"Oh sure it means something." Naruto said waving him off. "It means I have to get stronger if I want to protect Hinata-chan and the rest of the world."

Kyuubi sat there stunned for a moment at what Naruto said but eventually found his voice. **"She will be the end of us kit."** he said almost fearfully.

Naruto cocked his head and smirked. "Careful Kyuubi, there for a moment you sounded like you had more than one emotion."

Kyuubi responded by narrowing his eyes and growling at the blonde.

Naruto shook his head and sighed before turning his back to the fox and looking out at the rain. "One day. One day I'll cure you of all that hate you hold inside of you."

Looking over his shoulder at the fox he gave him a small smile before looking back out at the rain. "I hope that one day I'll finally get to know you. That one day you'll finally let me in and allow me to cure you of your loneliness."

Upon hearing what Naruto said Kyuubi snarled viciously.

"**As if!" **He shouted drawing his claws back and slashing through Naruto, ejecting him from his mindscape.

Turning his gaze out to the rain Kyuubi's scowl softened slowly until it was replaced by a sorrowful look. Looking out at the endless rain as it fell from the sky Kyuubi felt his own despair begin to grow.

"**Naruto," **he said quietly, **"if there's one thing that you should know about me it's this. In all of the ages, in this entire world there is only one thing I truly hate..."**

Pausing for a moment he looked up at the sky and felt grief wash over him before saying,** "The rain…" **

Lowering his head, Kyuubi began to shrink in size as his anger faded. _**"I hate the way it falls from the sky as if heaven itself is crying to me…"**_

Reaching human size Kyuubi continued to shrink as his sadness grew. _**"I hate the way the rain drenches everything, covering it with its' cold wet despair…"**_

Reaching the size of a dog he still continued to shrink as pain filled him. _**"I hate the way it reminds me of my loneliness with its icy heartless taunts…" **_

Finally coming to the size of a fox, Kyuubi stopped and made his way over to the trunk of the tree and lay down before covering himself protectively with his tails. _**"But most importantly, I hate the way it reminds me of what I've lost."**_

Closing his eyes, images of a redheaded woman smiling and laughing filled his thoughts and a single tear fell from his eye.

"**Kushina…"** he mumbled painfully.

The only response was the sound of cold despairing rain as it fell from the heavens.

OOO

Sasuke was lying in his bed in a state of blissful darkness. He had awakened while he was being carted to his room but had remained quiet still wanting to enjoy his pain free consciousness in peace. After being put into his bed he heard Sakura order Zetsu out of the room so he could rest properly. As he lay there, he listened to Sakura go about the room moving and putting things away. His concentration started to become somewhat strained as a dull pain began to return to his eyes but it didn't last long as he heard Sakura move closer to him. Lying there he listened to her as she started to hum a slow tune before breaking out into a soft lullaby. His mind began to drift as he listened to her voice float along the air in a sweet melody. He was so lost in her lullaby that he didn't even realize she was standing next to him until he felt her hand softly touch his temple and waves of relief began to wash through him.

It was a soft touch, but it spoke volumes to him. The care and love he felt from her touch was something he hadn't experienced since his mother had died. A soft moan escaped him as Sasuke ever so slightly leaned into her hand. Sakura for her part didn't seem to notice as she continued to sing her sweet lullaby. Moving her hand up to his hair, she began to run her hand through it gently while continuing to sing. Sasuke had effectively become putty in her hands and as he drifted off to sleep the last thought that ran his head was, _"She would make a great mother."_

OOO

In another part of the cave hideout that Sasuke and Sakura were currently in, Madara sat at a desk with only a single candle lit as his light. He was looking over some reports that Kisame had just recently sent and was amused to find that he had entered the Hidden Cloud Village so easily.

Sensing a presence behind him, Madara didn't even bother to turn around as he spoke. "What news do you have, Zetsu?"

"**It would appear that our contact in the Hidden Leaf has come across an item that he says would greatly interest you."** The black human plant hybrid said in a low gravely tone.

"Unless it has something to do with the Kyuubi container then I highly doubt it." Madara said dismissively.

"_Well as a matter of fact it does."_ The white half said with mirth. "**Something along the lines of part of the Kyuubi's chakra source sealed away."**

Madara froze in his reading but showed no outward signs of surprise. He slowly turned in his seat and looked at the contrasting man before him.

"Is it possible to gain access to this item?" Madara asked evenly.

"_It's heavily guarded, but possible nonetheless._**It will take careful planning but nothing is beyond our capabilities.** _Shall we make personal contact with our agent?__"_ Zetsu asked.

"Yes," Madara said. Then after a pause he added, "But only you Black Zetsu."

"**As you wish."** The black half of Zetsu said as he pulled away from his white half and sunk into the ground.

"_Aw, why does he get to have all the fun?"_ White Zetsu complained childishly.

"Because I have a more important task for you." Madara answered bluntly.

"_Oh? Something more important than getting our hands on the Kyuubi's chakra? What could it possibly be?"_ Zetsu asked interested.

"I want you to keep an eye on our new medic. Regardless of her display at the bridge I doubt her intentions for joining our cause." Madara answered as his single eye narrowed.

"_Thinking she may be here to sway the young Uchiha?"_The plant man asked with a grin.

"I could care less if she did." Madara said bluntly. "Sasuke is a tool waiting to be used. If he should somehow prove to be useless then I'll deal with him personally. No, I'm more concerned with Sakura potentially revealing our hand before we are ready."

"_Then why not kill her?"_ Zetsu asked confused.

"Because despite what Sasuke says and thinks, he is not the cold hearted killer he believes himself to be. Deep down he is still just a sniveling little brat that is crying for some kind of attention. If we kill the girl then the only person that has gone out of their way to give him attention will be gone and we could lose him." Madara said as he turned back to his reports.

"_You almost sound scared of him Tobi."_Zetsu said with a chuckle.

Scoffing at the idea Madara replied, "There is no way I would fear a weakling such as he. With all that destructive potential pent up in him I just think it would be more valuable to direct it back at his home village rather than having to waist our precious time dealing with him."

"_You're too cruel."_ Zetsu said with a grin as he shook his head.

"If that's what it takes to end this accursed world, then so be it." Madara said catching a glint in his eye. "Now be off, I need to finish looking over these reports."

Without another word White Zetsu sunk into the ground leaving Madara to contemplate his upcoming tasks.

OOO

Hinata moaned softly to herself as she attempted to force herself back to the dream she was awaking from. Burying her head deeper into the pillow, she tried to let her mind drift back to the images of Naruto shirtless and holding her close against his well formed body. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in making herself blush. Finally resigning herself to consciousness, Hinata slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling of the hospital listening to the sounds of the village. The gently blowing of the breeze, the laughter of children playing, the sounds of construction off in the distance, and the soft scribbling on paper.

"_Scribbling?"_ Hinata asked confused before sitting up and looking in front of her where the noise was coming from.

Sitting in front of her was Naruto, who was surrounded in paper and scribbling away madly with a crayon. Seeing Naruto engulfed in his work, Hinata had to fight back the urge to pass out again after remembering what had happened earlier.

Finding her voice, Hinata asked quietly. "A-Ano, I d-don't think the H-Hokage will want her r-report in c-crayon, Naruto-kun."

Naruto's head snapped up as soon as he heard the soft voice and he couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face.

"Glad to see you're finally awake Hinata." He said excitedly. "You don't think that Obaa-chan will like this kind of report?"

As he asked this, Naruto held up an extremely crude drawing of stick people fighting in a barren looking area. From what Hinata could gather, the orange stick figure with yellow hair was supposed to be him while the black stick figure with orange hair was meant to be Pain. The circle that was drawn around the black stick figure like some type of barrier seemed to further clarify her assumption.

Doing her best to stifle a giggle she said quietly, "I'm p-pretty sure Lady Tsunade will w-want a written r-report, Naruto-kun."

"Meh, I got bored of writing." Naruto said with a shrug. "But then I got the great idea to draw the report instead. I'll leave the writing to the boss, this is more fun anyways."

Naruto noticed the look of confusion on Hinata's face so he pointed out the window and said, "The 'real' me is outside right now."

"Oh." was all Hinata said as she looked out the window.

She felt slightly embarrassed at not knowing that the Naruto in front of her was a shadow clone but she ignored it and asked another question. "W-What are you…w-what is he d-doing?"

"Talking to the furball." the clone said as he continued to color.

"Furball?" Hinata asked confused even more now.

"Kyuubi." The clone said absent mindedly but then its' head quickly snapped up in horror. "Oops."

Hinata tried to hide her shock but it proved to be too much. She was surprised to hear that Naruto communicated with the demon and judging from the clones reaction on a regular basis as well. However, she also noticed that the clone looked almost scared of what she thought of Naruto now and couldn't help but feel her heart break a little.

"It's o-okay N-Naruto-kun. Your secret is s-safe with me." Hinata said trying to reassure the clone. She was a little concerned that Naruto was talking to the demon, but she trusted the blonde to know what he was doing.

The clone nodded but seemed to lose the light around it as it stared at the drawing in its lap. An awkward silence fell upon them and it soon became too unbearable for the Hyuuga princess. Looking for a way out to help clear the tension, Hinata jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

"I-I'm g-going to g-get a sh-shower." Hinata said quickly, glad that she was turned away from the clone so it couldn't see her blushing.

It may have been a clone, but it was a clone of the man she loved and had very mature dreams about; dreams that had only gotten worse since they started sharing a room together. The very thought of being naked with only a single door separating them was dizzying and was enough to get her worked up.

Stepping into the bathroom, Hinata quickly locked the door behind her and stripped down. She then turned the shower on and jumped in to wash away the dirt and grime that had been on her since her 'meltdown' as she called it. However, it wasn't long before her thoughts drifted back to Naruto and the dream she had of him early that day. Without even realizing it, her left hand started to gently massage her breasts while her right hand started to slowly slide down her wet body to her hips. When her thoughts suddenly turned to Naruto standing in the room with only a towel on and holding her against his lean cut chest she suddenly became incredibly weak-kneed. A familiar warmth suddenly returned between her legs that she felt so many times before when thinking those kinds of thoughts. However, when the memory of Naruto naked and holding her surfaced there was a sudden explosion of pleasure that rocked through Hinata's body causing her to close her eyes tightly as her breath hitched in her throat. It was then she realized that her fingers had finally managed to slip down between her legs and begin to stroke her sensitive spot.

"_Oh my god what is wrong with me!?"_ Hinata thought as she froze for a moment. _"Naruto-kun is just on the other side of that door!"_

However, in her attempt to stop, she inadvertently squeezed one of her nipples sending another wave of pleasure through her body and kick started her fingers again.

"_No, no I can't! This isn't like me…"_ Hinata thought desperately as her fingers slid painstakingly slow over her pleasure bump.

It was the truth though; Hinata had never actually touched herself before and would have never dreamed of doing it in such a public place. However, with everything that had happened between her and Naruto lately, combined with the dreams she constantly had, Hinata was the very definition of horny.

Biting her lower lip, she glanced towards the bathroom door. _"Well…it is just a clone after all…"_

Her fingers seemed to accept that as enough of an excuse and suddenly began moving on their own accord. Hinata's breathing started to become quick as her fingers began moving in quick circles around her nub and her other hand became more aggressive with kneading her breasts. After a few minutes Hinata suddenly found her legs unable to support herself as tingling sensations started to creep up them and a knot started to form in her stomach. Leaning up against the wall, the knot in her stomach began to tighten even more as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her body. Having never actually done this before, Hinata was new to these feelings of pleasure and found she wanted more and more of it. Giving her nipple another squeeze, Hinata closed her eyes as another wave of pleasure coursed through her body. Panting in ecstasy, she could feel herself rapidly approaching an edge as the knot in her stomach tightened even more. Her hand moved faster and faster between her legs as her fantasies played out in her mind. Giving her nipple one more squeeze, Hinata's body jerked as a much bigger jolt of pleasure racked her body and she couldn't help it as moan escaped her lips.

Hinata froze as soon as the noise left her lips. Her eyes snapped open and a blush quickly spread across her face as she realized at what had just happened.

"_Oh kami, please tell me he didn't hear that!"_

OOO

The clone of Naruto was sitting in his bed doing his very best to focus on the drawing in front of him. However, the poor excuse of a master piece warranted little attention and occasionally his eyes would begin to drift towards the door of the bathroom. He quickly avert them back to his paper again when he realized that they drifted to the door once again. His mind was not so forgiving however, and suddenly images of Hinata's wet form began to appear in his head with the steam from the shower providing the only form of protection against his eyes.

"_Stop it! Stop being a perv!"_ The clone demanded as he closed his eyes tight.

It was at that point he heard a soft drawn out moan come from the bathroom. The clone's eyes shot open in surprise and he craned his neck towards the bathroom as his imagination came back in full force and his mind began to wander once again. He felt something trickling out of his nose and touched and hand to it and pulled it back to find out it was blood.

Furrowing his eyebrows he said, "Ah quit it! It's not like she's in there thinking about m- ACHOO!"

The clone's eyes grew even wider as it stared at the bathroom door before clamping a hand down on his nose to keep himself from bleeding out and dispelling.

OOO

Hinata quickly finished her shower in an icy, cold, embarrassing silence. Grabbing a towel to dry off, she stepped out of the shower and reach for her clothes only to suddenly find herself in the same predicament Naruto was in earlier that day. Cursing herself mentally a thousand times over for her mistake a blush began to appear on her face as she realized what she had to do.

Wrapping the towel back around her, she cracked the door open just a hair and called out quietly. "N-N-Naruto-kun? A-Are y-y-you th-there?"

When no response came she opened the door a little wider and called out once more, but silence was once again the only response.

Deciding to risk it, Hinata took a deep breath and opened the door wide enough for her to poke her head out. Looking at the beds, she realized that the clone was no longer in the room. Thinking that it had most likely dispelled itself, Hinata opened the door the rest of the way and walked into the room much more comfortably. Reaching her bed, she quickly reached into her bag of clothes and found a deep lavender thong. It was at that point Hinata realized that Hanabi was apparently going for looks and not comfort. Cursing her sister's subtle way of 'sluting her up' as Ino would put it, Hinata slipped the thong on and began digging through the bag dreading to find what bra Hanabi had picked out for her. It was at that exact moment when Hinata's world came to a screeching halt.

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said as he entered the room and seeing that the bathroom was open assumed she was in bed. "Now that you're out how about you help m…m…m…Oh. My. God."

As Naruto's eyes turned from the bathroom to the beds his mind suddenly refused to work properly. Maybe it was the stress from having to write the report for Tsunade. Maybe it was from all the thoughts of the recent events that took place. Or maybe, perhaps, the current reason for the coup d'état of Naruto's brain was the pair of alabaster butt cheeks in a dark lavender thong just peeking out from beneath a towel that was wrapped tightly around an extremely curvaceous midnight haired bluenette.

As his eyes slowly traveled up they drank in her form until they settled on her sizable chest for just a split second due to the fact that it seemed to be just barely contained by the towel. Her hair fell in a wet tangled mess down her sides and back and the sheen of water that dripped down her and slowly rolled across her skin made her look like a goddess. The blush that was across her face was both innocent and seductive at the same time and Naruto quickly felt a tightness in his pants beginning to grow.

Hinata wanted to scream but the combination of surprise and embarrassment caused her throat to constrict to the point where she could barely breathe.

Naruto wanted to say something but the only legible word that was otherwise lost in babbling nonsense was "heaven." Shortly after that a jet stream of blood rocketed out of his nose and sent him crashing backwards causing him to disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Hinata blinked once, then twice, then three times before she let out a huge breath that she didn't even realize she was holding.

"_It was just a clone, thank kami!"_ Hinata silently thanked. _ "I don't know what I would have done if it was actually him."_ Her blush suddenly deepened at what would have happened if it was actually Naruto and a small piece of her secretly wished it had been.

However, another voice from the door to her room gained her attention and she froze again in fear but she quickly relaxed when she saw it was her friend.

"Hey Naruto, I told you to wait up damn it!" Tenten shouted as she entered the room with her arm in a sling. When she saw Hinata standing there looking slightly embarrassed and indecent she got a smirk on her face before saying, "Can't you two keep your clothes on when you're together?"

Hinata's face suddenly heated up even more as the memories of what had happened earlier resurfaced earning a snicker from Tenten.

Trying to save face Hinata stuttered a response. "I-It w-was just a c-clone Tenten. I-It's n-n-not like h-he actually s-saw m-me!"

"Wait that was a shadow clone?" Tenten asked confused. Hinata responded with a nod causing Tenten to grin evilly. "You do realize that the original gains all the memories of their clones right?"

"Kill Me!" Hinata screamed as she buried her face in her hands and Tenten laughed hysterically.

OOO

Naruto had just stood up from sitting against the tree and stretched. As he did this he was suddenly hit with the memories of his clone. As he shifted through the memories the emotions played across his face. First he scowled at the clone's laziness for giving up on writing some of the report. Then it quickly changed to wide-eyed at the clone's slip of the tongue and now Hinata knew his secret of talking to Kyuubi. He was taken by surprise when he suddenly felt a fear seize his heart at what Hinata might think of him now. However, the thought didn't last long as the final memory surfaced.

Naruto's eyes suddenly glazed over a goofy smile started to spread across his face. Blood suddenly threatened to spill from his nose as the images of the nearly naked Hyuuga princess appeared in his mind. He committed every image to memory, burning it into his mind never wanting to forget a single curve that made up Hinata's body.

"_Man I'm such a perv."_ Naruto thought, but quickly dismissed it due to the fact of having been influenced by the people that trained him.

Suddenly Naruto felt a desire to go see her. He wasn't sure why but he definitely knew that he wanted to talk to Hinata. About what Naruto hadn't the slightest clue but after the conversation with Kyuubi he was curious to see where things could lead.

Leaping back up to the second floor, Naruto was about to enter the window when he heard Tenten's voice and quickly moved to the side to listen. He could tell just from listening that Hinata was uncomfortable with the conversation they were having. It was apparent that Tenten was interrogating her and as much as he would have liked to come to Hinata's rescue, he felt it was unnecessary to get dragged into the interrogation as well.

Silently wishing Hinata the best, Naruto was about to jump away and go get some late afternoon ramen when he heard a crash come from the hospital a little ways down. Deciding to investigate, Naruto ran outside the building until he came to a stop outside of a window a few rooms down from his. Peeking inside the window Naruto saw someone thrashing around on a hospital bed yelling as he was being held down by a doctor and another man dressed in all green. After processing what he saw for a second, Naruto realized that it was Lee in the bed and that Guy was attempting to subdue his student. Naruto rolled his eyes at the master and student's antics but was relieved nonetheless that Lee was awake and apparently okay. Deciding that Guy could use a hand as he seemed to be struggling, Naruto popped open the window to the room and slipped in.

Walking up behind Guy, he clapped him on the shoulder scaring the preoccupied jonin sensei saying, "Heya Bushier Brow-sensei, need some help?"

"Ah, Naruto-kun!" Guy said boisterously but somewhat struggled as he ignored his students shouting. "I'm so glad to see that your fires of youth could not be extinguished! But to answer your question, yes, some assistance would be appreciated!"

Naruto snickered at the man struggling to contain his student and was about to assist until Lee suddenly grabbed Naruto by the shirt and pulled him inches away from his face.

"Naruto!" Lee said haggard. "Please tell me Tenten is okay!"

Naruto blinked once and only got as far as saying, "Uhhh."

Finding it an unacceptable answer, Lee suddenly gained some supernatural powers and flung Naruto into Guy sending them both crashing into a wall. He then proceeded to flop out of bed and pull himself to his feet before quickly hobbling out of the room yelling Tenten's name.

Naruto slowly regained his bearings and was surprised at how little it hurt being thrown into a wall with such force. Looking behind him he saw that the reason for such a soft landing came in the form a green clad man who was currently chasing little Lee's around his head.

"Oh Lee, your fires burn so brightly." Gai mumbled happily.

"Uh, right. Thanks Bushier Brow-sensei!" Naruto said as he stood up dusting himself off and quickly following after Lee.

It wasn't hard to guess where Lee had gone. Apart from his voice which was ringing through the hallways he also left a path of destruction in his wake in the form of nurses, doctors, and carts knocked over. Running past them all, Naruto was surprised that for someone who was weak and limping around Lee was still incredibly fast. Finally catching up to Lee, Naruto leapt at him in an attempt to tackle him to the floor when laughter suddenly erupted from the room Lee was next to.

"Tenten!" Lee shouted desperately.

"Lee?" Tenten's voice called out questioningly.

That was all Lee needed to hear as he barged into the room. With Lee no longer occupying the space that Naruto was aiming for, Naruto suddenly found himself left with nothing but air as he sailed past the room and face planted. Standing up slowly muttering about how he'd make sure the green beast of Konoha would never walk again, he followed him into the room. When he entered he found both Lee and Tenten fussing over each other's wounds with Hinata sitting on the side of her bed, thankfully fully dressed in pants and a t-shirt.

Naruto couldn't help but smile and caught Hinata out of the corner of his eye smiling as well as Lee seemed to ignore Tenten's protesting and blushes as he embraced her in a huge bear hug. Saying he had been so worried about her Tenten could only blush more as she sputtered out a thank you and looked away from him when he finally released her. However, she was saved from further embarrassment as Guy appeared and cleared his throat.

"As much as I enjoy seeing my students so joyfully reunite with each other, I'm going to have to ask you that you return to your room Lee." Guy said sternly.

"But Guy-sensei-" Lee started but was cut off.

"-It's not up for discussion Lee, now move it!" Guy said as he pointed out the room.

"Yes, Guy-sensei." Lee said depressed as he got up and began to limp to the door.

"Here Lee, let me help." Tenten said quietly as she moved to support Lee against her.

Lee suddenly brightened up as he happily accepted Tenten's support and the three quickly left the room leaving Naruto and Hinata by themselves.

Turning away from the door Naruto blew out a breath as he looked at the mess of papers his clone left behind.

"Well, I guess I better get back to it." He said somewhat depressed.

"D-Do you w-want some help, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly.

"That would be great, Hime." Naruto said with an appreciative smile.

Hinata blushed and gave a small smile in return before making her way over to him. When she reached him, she stood behind him as he sat looking over his work. Bending over to read what was written so far she felt Naruto suddenly go rigid causing Hinata to think something was wrong

"U-Um, H-H-Hinata?" Naruto stuttered out glad she couldn't see his face which was burning red.

"Y-Yes, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked hesitantly.

"C-Could you p-please put your j-j-jacket on?" Naruto asked almost pleadingly.

It was at that point that Hinata realized that she was indeed not wearing her jacket. To further cause her embarrassment she hadn't realized that her chest was pushing up against Naruto's back as she read over his report. Standing up suddenly, Hinata could only simply walk back over to her bed before throwing her jacket on and zipping it up quickly. Climbing into her bed she quickly pulled her knees up too her and grabbed her favorite book that Hanabi had left before opening it and burying her face inside.

Naruto was confused by Hinata's sudden change in mood and voiced his concerns. "Um, Hinata? What about the report?"

Peeking over her book Hinata answered quickly. "It l-looks fine, Naruto-kun. Y-You're a n-natural."

"Oh. Okay." Was all Naruto could get out as he looked back down at his report wondering what in the world had gotten into Hinata.

Across the room Hinata continued to hide her feverishly burning blush behind her book as she thought about what had just happened.

"_He reacted so weird when I was pushed up against him. Does that mean he doesn't feel attracted to me?"_ Hinata asked worried. However, that thought was quickly shot down. _"No, Naruto-kun actually started to stutter, it was so cute! Which means…he actually liked what just happened! Which also means…he liked what he saw!"_

Hinata felt her heart begin to race as her breathing became slightly erratic. Forcing herself to focus so she wouldn't pass out, Hinata had to resist the urge to do her happy dance which was usually only seen when she ate her cinnamon rolls.

OOO

Hanabi was walking through the compound after just finishing up a sparring match with her father and allowed her mind to drift to her sister. Not surprisingly she found herself once again wishing that Hinata was back so she could have someone to talk to. She may have been Hanabi's sister, but Hinata truly was much more like a mother to her and she missed being able to confide in her.

Hanabi was brought out of her thoughts though when she caught Akesuke standing near her father's office. Finding the way he kept shifting in his stance unusual, Hanabi decided to investigate.

"Good afternoon Akesuke-san." Hanabi said politely as she came up behind him.

Akesuke jumped at having Hanabi sneak up on him but he managed a smile and gave a short bow. "Ah, good afternoon Hanabi-san. How are you today?"

"I'm fine," Hanabi said. Then after a short pause she added, "I just wish my sister was back home."

Akesuke nodded and smiled. "Yes, I think we all miss your sister. She has a way of bringing a light to this place."

Hanabi smiled and nodded at that but then decided to cut to the chase. "Akesuke-san, is something wrong? You seem…uncomfortable."

Akesuke's eyes betray his surprise but he waved her off. "No, no, I'm fine. I was just hoping to speak to your father about something that has come up."

Hanabi seemed to accept what he said as she gave him a nod. "Well, father should be along shortly so you shouldn't have to wait long." Giving a short bow she said, "Good bye, Akesuke-san."

"Good bye, Hanabi-san." Akesuke said with another smile and bow.

Once he was sure she was gone Akesuke quickly turned around and entered Hiashi's office. Crossing the room, he quickly activated the seals on Hiashi's desk and then took his seat to await the clan head's return. He wasn't sitting there for more than a minute when he heard the door open behind him.

"Hiashi, something has come up and we need to talk." Akesuke said without even turning around.

"Oh? Please, do tell." A voice answered that made Akesuke's blood run cold.

"Gourzi." Akesuke said with a scowl before turning around to face the man. "What are you doing here?"

"I think I could ask you the same question." Gourzi said with a smirk before it suddenly faded and gained a steelier look. "What news do you have to discuss with Hiashi that requires privacy seals?"

"The type of news that you don't need to hear."

Both Gourzi and Akesuke turned to see Hiashi standing in the doorway looking rather displeased.

"I wasn't aware my office had been made into a lounge for the councilmen." Hiashi said rather icily.

Gourzi simply harrumphed as walked past Hiashi without as much as a sideways glance. Finding they were alone, Hiashi closed and locked the door before taking his seat in front of Akesuke.

"That was close, Akesuke. Mind telling me what needs to be discussed in broad daylight?" Hiashi asked.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to tell you that the elders are meeting tonight and I think that they may be talking about that scroll of yours." Akesuke said as sat back in his chair with a sigh.

Hiashi leaned forward onto his desk and laced his fingers together. "You think they might try and take it?" he asked.

"It's hard to say." the young councilman answered. "But I'm beginning to suspect that keeping that scroll here would be a bad idea. Perhaps we can have the Hokage look after it?"

"No," Hiashi said shaking his head. "I'd hate to go and dump this kind of a burden on Lady Tsunade so soon after waking up from her coma. I admit we will need her help but that will come later and in the form of shinobi. I would rather keep this scroll somewhere where I can see it at all times. If it's being looked after by someone else then it means the elders have a chance of stealing it."

Akesuke could see the logic in that so changed subject. "When will you tell the Hokage of our dilemma?"

"Soon." Hiashi answered before asking, "Why, do you think the elders are planning to make a move?"

Akesuke shook his head at this. "No, I don't think they are planning to make a move, but I do think that they are beginning to prepare for whatever it is they have planned."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed at hearing this but nodded his head. "Is that all?" he asked.

"For now, yes." Akesuke said as he stood. "I'm still not as trusted as some of the elders. I won't be able to attend the meeting tonight but I will be able to hear through the grape vine what the inner ring of elders has discussed."

"Do your best to gain their trust and work your way in more." Hiashi ordered as he stood as well.

"As you wish, Hiashi." Akesuke said with a bow.

Returning it, Hiashi then released the privacy seals and watched his friend leave. Sitting down again, he opened his desk to reveal a family photo of him, Keimei who was pregnant with Hanabi at the time, and Hinata.

Stroking the edge of the frame he spoke softly as he stared at his wife. "There's a storm coming Keimei, one that I'm not sure our clan will be able to weather. Pleas, watch over our family."

OOO

Hinata was surprised when she walked out of the bathroom later that evening to find Naruto drinking straight from one of the sake bottles. Walking back to her bed, she sat down and watched Naruto curiously as he continued to write and sip on the bottle like it was water. Feeling her gaze, Naruto looked up at her and smiled.

"Would you like some Hinata?" he asked as he held out the bottle.

Hinata found that she was somewhat hesitant as memories of the last time surfaced when she drank. However, she suddenly found herself wondering what Naruto would talk about if he got drunk. Would he talk about battles he had fought in? People he had met on his three year trip with Jiraiya? Confess his secret and undying love for her? Hinata's eyes widened at the last thought and decided then and there to go on a little Intel mission. Nodding, Hinata grabbed the glass that was on the table by her bed and crossed the room. Holding it out, Naruto poured her a glass and was surprised when she downed it in one gulp and held it out for another round.

Seeing his surprised look she blushed and said, "Th-This isn't th-the first t-time I've drank Naruto-kun."

"I think that's a little obvious." Naruto said cheekily as he poured her another round and then handed her the bottle saying, "take this one and I'll take the other."

Hinata made her way over to her bed and sat down after placing the bottle on the table. Several minutes passed by and Hinata noticed while sipping her glass that Naruto once again continued drinking from the bottle like it was water. Something she couldn't quite understand since every time she took a sip it felt like someone was blowing a fire jutsu down her throat. Not wanting Naruto to suspect anything, Hinata down the rest of her liquid courage and began her mission.

"A-Ano, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly. When she saw that she had his attention she continued. "D-Do y-you have f-feelings for S-Sakura?"

She knew it was a stupid question but she was just trying to get him warmed up. She tried to play aloof as she filled her glass again.

"Of course I do, I love her!" Naruto said with a smile which nearly caused Hinata to drop the sake bottle.

"Oh." was all she could say as Hinata's world came crashing down on her.

Naruto seemed to pick up on this and gauged her reactions when he continued. "But of course I mean I love her like a sister."

"R-Really?" Hinata asked as her head snapped up in surprise causing her to blush.

Naruto did his best not to laugh but a grin did manage to weasel its way onto his face as he saw the hope return to her eyes.

"Really." Naruto said as he took another swig of sake and Hinata mirrored his movement.

Feeling a burn to her cheeks that was not entirely due to the conversation, Hinata waited a few more minutes before pressing on. "I-Is there a-anyone th-that you do l-like?"

Naruto feigned thinking as he brought a hand to his chin earning a giggle from Hinata. "Hmm, well is there anyone that you like Hinata?"

Hinata blushed furiously as she looked down at her drink.

"Y-Y-You kn-know wh-who I l-l-like N-Naruto-kun." She sputtered out taking another sip of her drink.

"Actually I don't think I do." Naruto said seriously as he crossed his arms.

Hinata went wide-eyed as she looked up at the blonde in front of her. "Y-Y-You kn-know I l-like…" she trailed off as she ducked her head down but glanced up at the man sitting across from her.

Naruto was taking another drink when he realized she was looking at him. "Who, me?" Naruto asked confused.

Hinata was shocked that Naruto seemed so surprised at learning this, especially after what she had told him during the invasion. Regardless, she still nodded her head meekly as she continued to hide her burning face that was now half due to embarrassment and half due to sake.

"Man Hinata I didn't know that." Naruto said scratching his head sheepishly. "I thought you…" he trailed off for a moment as he blushed and looked away. "…Well I thought you said that…that you loved me during the invasion." Seeing Hinata's shocked look he quickly laughed it off saying, "I know, right? Man, am I an idiot! I must have been hearing stuff when Nagato had me pinned down with those chakra disrupters."

It took all of Hinata's courage to shake her head when Naruto looked at her instead of simply avoiding his look.

After a few more minutes of silence between them Hinata finished off her glass and said quietly, "I-I m-meant every word I-I said, Naruto-kun."

"Hinata…" was all Naruto could say as he stared at the Hyuuga princess in shock.

Suddenly feeling confident from the way Naruto was staring at her, Hinata continued.

"I-I meant it when I said y-you changed my l-life." She said as she stood up and swayed for a moment before walking over to Naruto.

"I-I meant it when I s-said your smile s-saved me." She said quieter as she crawled onto his bed and stared longingly into his eyes.

"I m-meant it when I s-said th-that…that…" Hinata looked down unable to look him in the eyes.

"…That you loved me." Naruto finished quietly as he raised her chin with his hand to look back into her soft lavender eyes.

Hinata's face became slightly more flushed as she nodded but she didn't break eye contact. She wanted him to know that she meant every word she said and that she truly did love him. As they became lost in each other's eyes Hinata suddenly felt the slight tug on her chin as if Naruto was nudging her towards him. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw him start to lean forward ever so slowly and his hand slid up to her cheek caressing it softly. The room began to spin as electricity seemed to charge the air and her heart began to flutter uncontrollably. Hinata leaned forward as her eyes began to close. Mere inches away, Hinata saw through half lidded eyes that their lips were about to touch, that what she had dreamed of for so long was about to finally happen.

"Hinata…" Naruto whispered breathlessly as he closed his eyes and pulled the woman in his arms last few inches towards him.

It was at that moment that Kami intervened, deciding that the moment wasn't quiet pure enough. Just as their lips were about to touch Hinata hit 'the wall' and the combination of alcohol and her erratically beating heart sent her into a blissful unconsciousness. However, as she fell forward Naruto's lips managed to press against her forehead before she fell onto his chest fast asleep. As she fell dreamed away, a smile graced her lips that showed she was truly at peace.

Naruto opened his eyes in surprise when he felt something other than Hinata's lips. Looking down he realized that he had just kissed her forehead and she was now fast asleep on his chest. He couldn't help it as a chuckle escaped his lips and he turned his attention back to the report that was almost finished, content with how things were at that exact moment in time.

OOO

Hinata woke up a few hours later when a cold breeze blew through the room. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes she noticed that room was still spinning signaling that she was still a little drunk.

"_How strong was that shit?"_ Hinata wondered before pausing and then shaking her head realizing she had just answered her own question.

Feeling another cold breeze caused Hinata shiver slightly and wonder where the walking furnace that was Naruto had went. Getting up and going to the window, she was about to close it when she saw Naruto sitting just outside the window staring up at the night sky. Curiosity getting the best of her, Hinata slipped out the window and sat down next to him.

"Couldn't sleep Hime?" Naruto asked with a smile not looking away from the stars.

Hinata blushed at the private nickname but answered. "I got cold."

Once again Hinata was amazed that she was able to speak without a stutter. Deciding that it had to do a little bit with the dark and the alcohol, she simply dismissed it for the moment. Noticing that both of the sake bottles were empty and lying next to blonde she became concerned.

"Is everything okay Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked worried.

"Nani?" Naruto asked absent mindedly as he finally looked at Hinata and saw she was looking at the bottles.

"Oh don't worry about that." Naruto said with a smile as he waved her off. "I have a super high tolerance apparently. Nearly killed Ero-sennin on more than one occasion when he would challenge me to a drinking match."

Hinata giggled at the thought of thirteen year old beating a man in his fifties in a drinking match, and then having to drag the drunken man out of the bar.

Joining Naruto, she stared up at the stars as the sparkled like diamonds hanging on a black velvet backdrop. After a moment of comfortable silence she spoke.

"They're beautiful aren't they," Hinata said softly with a smile, "the way they just sparkle and shine up there."

"Yeah…" Naruto murmured as he shifted his gaze from the sky to Hinata, her own pale eyes dancing in the faint light. "They are."

Hinata noticed that he wasn't looking at the sky when he replied causing her to blush. Moving her gaze to meet his, they both allowed themselves to become lost in the others' eyes. The moment ended though when another cold breeze blew across the village and caused Hinata to shift her gaze and shiver.

"Maybe you should go back inside?" Naruto suggested not wanting her to get sick.

Hinata shook her head though, refusing to let the moment they were sharing end. Hearing an unzipping noise, Hinata looked over to see him taking off his own jacket.

Wrapping it around her he whispered softly into her ear, "I wouldn't want my Hime to get sick."

Hinata's blush deepened at what Naruto said but happily accepted the jacket, pulling it closely around her and reveling in the warmth it provided and the faint scent of him that still lingered on it. Scooting closer to him, Naruto wrapped his arm around her and she snuggled down into his chest as they both enjoyed the star lit sky. An hour later Hinata was smiling peacefully, fast asleep on Naruto's chest. Finally deciding to call it a night, Naruto scooped up Hinata bridal style and stood up. As he stood up the sudden movement caused the sleeping heiress to talk in her sleep.

"I love you." she mumbled while snuggling into his chest more.

Smiling as he entered back into their room, he placed Hinata in her bed and tucked her in before saying, "I know, Hime. I know."

Closing the window and climbing into his own bed, Naruto quickly drifted off to sleep. For the first time since the invasion, Naruto found himself sleeping the night away peacefully and without nightmares, a small smile never fading from his lips.

**So what did you think? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Let me know! Spread the holiday cheer and tell a friend about this story! I know I put you all on Santafiction's good list for being such great readers! Till next time!**


	20. The Gathering Storm

**Hey guys remember me? Yeah I know, it's been forever and you've all had to wait waaaaay too long. I know I'm a dick and suck big time. I'm sorry, I really am. It was hell having to retype this chapter and it didn't help that I had midterms and then spring break, not to mention work. I'll make this short so we can get back to the story. Thank you for the support. It means a lot to read the messages after having such a shitty thing happen and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. You guys rock and you make this entire thing worth it. Now, on to the story! And as always, please let me know what you like/hate!**

**Previously: **Naruto finds out that the person in the hospital bed that plagues his dreams is none other than Hinata. Not only that, she was married to him and was pregnant with their child at the time of her viscous attack and death. Kyuubi then forces Naruto to witness himself spiral out of control until he destroys the village that he has sought to protect for so long. Afterwards Kyuubi insists that if Naruto continues to deepen his relationship with Hinata it will all come to pass. Naruto finds himself lost in despair for a moment before steeling himself and telling the Kyuubi to shove it. After a quick and heated argument, Kyuubi ejects Naruto from the mindscape leaving the fox to his memories. After a moment Kyuubi reveals that what he truly hates is the rain and then mentions Kushina's name as a painful memory surfaces. Meanwhile, Madara informs black zetsu to meet with the contacts in Konoha while he orders white zetsu to keep an eye on Sakura, convinced that she has plans other than just being with Sasuke. Later on at night, Hinata and Naruto share two bottles of sake while the latter finishes his report. It doesn't take long before Hinata finds herself very drunk and making advances towards Naruto who is surprised at the level of boldness. After a missed kiss that ended with Hinata sleeping Naruto finished his report. Later on in the night, Hinata wakes to find herself alone in bed. Wandering to the window she sees Naruto on the roof and goes out to join him. After spending time looking at the stars together, Hinata drifts off to sleep and Naruto carries her back inside and tucks her in. As he does so she says that she loves him in her sleep to which Naruto smiles and says that he knows.

**Chapter 19: The Gathering Storm**

Naruto slept away in a peacefully state of bliss completely oblivious to the world around him. Drool hung from his open grinning mouth while he snored away loudly, happy to finally get a full night of rest. The moonlight shown through the window and trickled in giving the room a soft silvery glow while a soft breeze rustled the curtains and a cool crisp autumn wind entered the room. However, the breeze was not the only one to do so and the blonde's peace was about to end.

Two shadows suddenly appeared next to Naruto's bedside and peered down at him for a moment, their faces blacked out in the night. One of the shadows looked at the other with an unspoken question and upon receiving a nod they pulled out a rag. Standing there for moment staring at the sleeping blonde, the shadow then shook its head in what seemed like disappointment before suddenly shoving a rag into Naruto's open mouth. Naruto's eyes instantly snapped open but before he could do anything a bag was shoved over his head. Resisting as best he could, Naruto suddenly realized that he couldn't move before he felt a tug on his body that sent his stomach doing summersaults.

As suddenly as he felt it, the tug was gone and Naruto felt himself land hard on what felt like grass. Gagged and completely immobilized, all Naruto could do was wait for his kidnappers to reveal themselves. Hearing what sounded like footsteps approaching him slowly he prepared for whatever might come. When the bag was ungraciously ripped off of his face Naruto felt little relief in identifying who his kidnappers were even though he knew them personally. They're faces glowed in the soft light of the moon as well as another low light that seemed to be emanating from somewhere on his body. Glancing down he saw the reason for his restraint glowing softly on his chest: a paralysis seal.

"Your situational awareness is a joke, Naruto." Renge said coldly as she looked down at the paralyzed blonde.

Finally managing to spit out the rag Naruto yelled back in irritation, "I was sleeping in the hospital! I thought I was safe!"

Renge scowled and smashed her foot down on his chest hard enough to make him cough and wince.

"The only time you should think that you're safe," she whispered as she leaned in to glare at him, "is when you're sleeping in your own home."

Naruto knew she had a point, especially since there was a terrorist organization dedicated to hunting him down. However, he was still upset at being rudely awakened at such an hour and in the most unnecessary way too. However, the Uzumaki matriarch regained his attention as she spoke again.

"Naruto, as a ninja you should be aware of your surroundings. To expect the unexpected and be prepared to react instantly to any surprises thrown at you. However…" she trailed off as she looked up at the stars and her face hardened. "As an Uzumaki you should _know_ your surroundings, _see _everything, even down to the minutest detail. Nothing should ever catch you flat footed, nothing should ever surprise you."

Looking back down at Naruto with fierce eyes she finished, "That is the Uzumaki clan's pride: to be omniscient. To be surprised would be a sin against the Uzumaki's name, against your very heritage, but most of all it would be a sin against the clan's pride."

Renge paused for a moment and Naruto couldn't help but stare at his grandmother in awe.

"You have your own personal pride and it is honorable Naruto: to never give up and never go back on your word, to protect those precious to you with your very life. That truly is an honorable pride to have." Renge said with a smile.

Her gaze suddenly went distant and her face became soft for a moment before becoming hardened with resolve. "But if you're serious about training under us, to train in the ways of the Uzumaki, then you will be shouldering the pride and honor of the clan as well."

Looking back at the blonde one last time she asked, "Are you ready to accept the pride and honor of the Uzumaki's, Naruto? Are you prepared to accept your name?"

Naruto hadn't even needed to think twice about what she was asking. He was being offered a chance to learn his heritage while training under his own family in the ways of his clan. So what if it was a little more responsibility to shoulder; in his opinion it was worth it.

"I'm insulted you even had to ask." Naruto said with a determined grin.

Renge returned the smile before it suddenly turned dark and sadistic. Turning around Renge began to walk towards Jihibiki while giving out instructions.

"Your training will begin at 4:30 every morning."

"F-Four thirty?" Naruto blanched as he looked at his grandmother in horror.

Renge stopped walking but didn't look back. "Did I stutter?" she asked darkly. "There's a war on the horizon and we need to get you prepared."

Continuing her walk she said, "You will train all day everyday with minimum breaks. We're going to break you, rebuild you, and then break you again."

"You're just going to break me apart?" Naruto asked failing to keep the slight edge of anxiety out of his voice.

"Whether or not you can rebuild yourself the last time is up to you." Renge answered cryptically.

Finally turning to face him she said, "Your training for each day will stop when either you or the sun drops."

Turning to her husband she said, "Jihibiki, you've got him for a week. He's all yours."

Then with a bright flash she disappeared leaving Naruto gaping and Jihibiki shaking his head.

"So dramatic." He muttered to himself before directing his attention to his great grandson who was still trapped in the seal.

"Do you know what that is?" he asked.

"It's a paralysis seal." Naruto answered to which Jihibiki nodded his head.

"And do you know how to release the seal?"

"If I do the correct hand signs then the seal can be released." Naruto answered again.

"Correct, but your trapped and can't move so how will you escape?" Jihibiki asked with a grin.

"Simple really." Naruto said before flaring his chakra. A blue column of chakra burst from his chest where the seal was before it dissolved away and Naruto stood up.

"Good, so you know that a seal can be released if it is overloaded with enough chakra." Jihibiki said happily clapping his hands together. "However, only ninja with very large chakra reserves can usually accomplish this."

"Yeah I know the basics." Naruto said with a smirk. "Ero-sennin taught me a little bit about seals when we were traveling around for those three years."

"That's perfect since it will speed up this whole process then." Jihibiki said as he reached into his robes. Pulling out a small, flat, wooden box he tossed it to Naruto.

"Put these on." he instructed. "One for each limb"

Naruto caught the box and opened it to see four silver bracelets inside. Looking closely at them he noticed the kanjis for "suppress", "seal", and "weight" inscribed into the metal. Naruto looked up at Jihibiki in suspicion, but after getting an encouraging nod from the elder he shrugged and put them on. As soon as the last bracelet was clasped around his wrist Naruto saw Jihibiki make the ram sign and then the kanji for "seal" glowed bright red for a moment.

Suddenly Naruto felt like he had lost all strength and dropped to his hands and knees. "W-What the hell?!" he asked in surprise.

Jihibiki, however, ignored him and said happily, "Come along Naruto we have your warm-ups to do!"

Turning and walking away he spoke while rubbing his hands together. "Oh you and I are going to have so much fun!"

Unfortunately, Naruto failed to see the crazy grin that had begun to spread across his grandfather's face.

* * *

><p>As the sun began to peak over the tree filled horizon of Konoha and rise into the early morning sky so did Hinata's eyes, which then proceed to snap shut again. Hinata lay in bed for a moment trying to let her eyes adjust to the offending light before she sat up slowly. This proved to be a horrible mistake on her part because as she did she was slammed with the full brunt of her hangover. Hinata bit back a moan of pain as the piercing headache split into her skull and forced herself to ignore the urge to vomit.<p>

"_I keep saying never again and yet I continue to do it…I think I have a problem."_ Hinata thought miserably.

Looking across from her she noticed that Naruto wasn't in his bed or even in the room for that matter. The sheets had already been changed and the bed had been made by a nurse which meant that Naruto had most likely checked out. Glancing to the side of her bed she noticed a glass of water already poured on her night stand along with two red pills and a small card. Picking up the card with a shaky hand her eyes quickly read the brief message.

_Take them both and you'll feel right as rain in no time._

Hinata didn't know who it was from or what the pills were for that matter but she didn't care. Quickly picking up the pills she popped them in her mouth and washed them down with some water. Sitting back in her bed Hinata closed her eyes and continued to sip on her water. She stayed in that position for a few minutes until she heard the slightest of movements next to her bed. Opening her eyes and looking over to her side, Hinata could help but scream in shock and surprise at seeing Renge sitting down next to her.

"Well," Renge said with a smirk that seemed to crack across her weathered face, "at least you have more awareness than my grandson."

"R-Renge-sama, w-what are you doing here?" Hinata asked confused.

"Oh I just wanted to see how you were doing sweetie since I'll be training you first." Renge said with a smile.

"O-Oh." was all Hinata could say.

"Oh relax dear; I'm not going to bite!" Renge said exasperatedly while waving her hands in the air.

This action seemed to lighten Hinata up as it reminded her of something Naruto would do, and she had to bring a hand up to her mouth to suppress a giggle.

"_She acts just like him."_ Hinata thought inwardly with a smile.

"What's so funny?" Renge asked somewhat offended at thinking Hinata was laughing at her.

"Nothing Renge-sama." Hinata answered innocently.

Renge didn't seem to buy it and folded her arms and squinted at her as if she was a puzzle to solve.

This only caused Hinata to burst into laughter, her light voice floating up and down in a melody of happiness.

"_Oh yes, they are definitely family."_ Hinata thought.

"It's nothing Renge-sama, really." Hinata said in a placating manner in hopes of calming the Uzumaki elder down. "You just remind me of Naruto-kun."

Renge squinted at Hinata for a moment longer earning another giggle from the Hyuuga heiress before breaking out in a smile.

"Yes, he most certainly is an Uzumaki." Renge said proudly. Turning her attention to the bluenette she then got a sly smile on her face. "Those pills did the trick I see. Glad you are managing to bounce back after such an eventful night."

Hinata was taken aback by what Renge said at first, and then surprised when she realized her hangover had seemingly and magically disappeared.

"What was in those pills?" Hinata asked slightly concerned now at what she had just put into her body.

"Oh just a little something I came up with over the years: salts for the hangover, some pain killers for headache, antacid for the stomach, ginseng to speed up the process." Renge said with a shrug. "A few miscelanous drugs…" she muttered as an afterthought with a smirk.

"Thank you Renge-sama," Hinata said with a grateful smile while doing her best to ignore the after comment. "But how did you know that I was…um…w-well feeling ill?"

Renge chuckled at Hinata's shyness but answered. "Oh Naruto-kun insisted that I check up on you since he couldn't. He said you would probably be feeling a little down in the dumps today."

Hinata blushed at the thought of Naruto being concerned for her and sending someone to check on her. However, it paled in comparison to what she looked like when the memories of what she had said and done the night before came flooding back.

"_Oh my god…"_ Hinata thought as her vision began to blur. _"What was I thinking saying that?!"_ she asked herself remembering what she had said to Naruto.

Her blush then deepened tenfold.

"_What was I thinking doing THAT?!"_ She asked herself even more panicked remembering how she sauntered over and climbed into bed with him.

Hinata's world screeched to a halt though as her last memory hit home.

"_W-We a-almost k-k-kiss-ed!"_ Hinata realized as her eyes widened in shock, joy, and horror.

Renge was rather glad she had decided to visit the young Hyuuga heiress since it was proving to be most entertaining. The most entertaining part so far was watching Hinata go through fifty different shades of blush. However, she was quickly proven wrong when the girl's eyes suddenly widened and then rolled to the back of her head before falling back against her pillow into unconsciousness.

"Boy does she got it bad for you, Naruto." Renge whistled out with a chuckled.

Making herself comfortable Renge waited for Hinata to awaken so she could explain her plan for the girl's future training.

* * *

><p>Hiashi looked up when he heard a knock at his office door. He was about to say enter, but before the words could even leave his throat the door slid open and Akesuke stepped quickly and then shut and locked the door. One look towards Hiashi was all he needed to get the message across. Narrowing his eyes, Hiashi placed his hands on the desk and activated the privacy seals for the room.<p>

"What happened?" Hiashi asked cutting right to the chase.

"From what I heard the elders are planning something, something big." Akesuke said hurriedly as he took a seat.

"Do you know when this plan is supposed to be put into action?" Hiashi asked.

"At the end of this month." Akesuke answered.

Suddenly Hiashi felt as if a huge weight had been set onto his shoulders. He sagged forward and propped himself up on his desk with his elbows as he rubbed his eyes. Things were starting to spiral out of control.

As if Akesuke was reading his mind he asked, "What are we going to do, Hiashi?"

Hiashi let out a sigh that seemed to bear the weight of the world on it. "We have to go see Tsunade-sama. It's time we informed her of these transgressions and then ask for her support."

Akesuke nodded gravely in agreement. "There's one other thing you should know. The elders met with a contact that was not from this village."

Hiashi hated to admit it but that bit of information surprised him. He knew the elders were planning something, it was the whole reason that he had asked for Akesuke's help in the first place. But to learn that the elders were seeking outside help made the situation much more serious than what he originally thought.

"Do you have any idea who it was?" Hiashi asked.

Akesuke shook his head. "No, I don't. If I could actually get into the meetings then maybe I could identify who it was they are meeting with. Until then, we are in the dark."

Hiashi's eyebrows furrowed together as he thought. He needed Akesuke to gain the elders trust but he refused to give up the scroll that held their interest. As he thought, his hand aimlessly wandered to the hidden draw that contained the picture of his family before they were torn apart, a habit that he had developed when he became overly stressed. Suddenly a light went off in Hiashi's head and he gave Akesuke a smirk.

Seeing the smirk Akesuke let out a chuckle. "This ought to be good."

Hiashi's smirk only grew bigger. "Listen carefully, here's what you're going to do."

* * *

><p>Neji walked through the streets of Konoha with his mind lost in thought after just finishing up at the Interrogation Department. The reason for this current state of mind? Neji was trying to solve the mystery that was Karin. There was something about the girl that just didn't quite fit. Something that he knew he was over looking but was right in front of his face screaming at him. Pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing Neji cleared his mind and started from the beginning on what he knew.<p>

The interview for the day had gone better than expected. For the first few minutes Karin had been uncooperative but he could tell that was because she was feeling vulnerable and didn't want to be used again. After a little bit of coaxing and a few reassuring words that left Karin blushing furiously and stuttering she finally spilled everything. Neji took a moment to smirk at the image of Karin looking down while blushing and trying to say a coherent sentence.

"_You're almost as bad as Hinata-niisan, but I like it."_ he thought before stopping mid step and blinking.

Pushing aside the thoughts Neji continued on towards the newly constructed Hokage tower. Karin had told him everything that had happened since she had left Orochimaru and joined Sasuke's team, all the way up to when he tried to kill her at the bridge and was somehow saved. Neji had an idea as to how the red head managed to survive even with a gaping hole in her chest. He had to give credit to Sakura on that one, no doubt that the girl had put Karin in a near death state to preserve her life for as long as possible. However, a normal person would have still bled out by the time she was able to make it back to the village and Neji was suspicious of how Karin managed to make it, even with a blood pill.

"_No doubt she has the vitality to stay alive if that mouth of hers is any indication."_ Neji thought as a side comment but then froze for the second time in less than a minute.

"_Loud mouth, red hair, vitality…"_ Neji thought as his eyes narrowed and it all started to come together.

"_It can't be…can it?"_ he asked himself.

Turning on his heels, Neji headed straight back to the Interrogation Department.

* * *

><p>Karin was sitting in her cell thinking about everything she had said during her earlier interrogation and berating herself for giving up the information so easily.<p>

"_Baka! Now they have no more use for you! It's going to either be execution or life in prison now…"_

Pulling her knees up to her chest for comfort she stared off into space contemplating on whether or not she should even attempt an escape.

"_I'm in the center of a village. Even with my ability to sense others, I probably wouldn't even make it very far if the whole village was looking for me. Especially with those Hyuugas here."_ Karin thought bitterly.

"_Damn you Neji! This is all your fault! I'll probably never see you or the light of day ever again now that you have what you want." _Karin thought miserably as tears threatened to spill over.

"_Why did I tell you everything?!"_ Karin asked herself desperately.

It was at that point that a blush spread across her face.

"_It's because of those damn eyes and that smile…who knew that's all it took."_ Karin thought as her blush increased a little and she pulled her legs closer to body.

"_Of course he did save my life…" _Karin added as an afterthought and suddenly a light bulb went off in her head.

"_Yes that's it! That's why I care about him, or at least I think I do. He saved my life and now I feel like I owe him."_ Karin reasoned._ "I don't really care about him; I'm just feeling a connection to him because he saved me!"_

"Hello Karin-chan, am I interrupting anything?"

Karin's head snapped up and her blush instantly darkened. She had been so lost in thought she hadn't even heard him enter her cell.

"N-Neji-kun?! W-What are you doing here?" she asked confused as to why he would visit her outside of interrogation.

"_Yeah,don't care about him, huh?"_ Karin added as an afterthought while internally rolling her eyes at herself.

Neji just gave her a small smile. "I was hoping to learn a little more from you."

Karin couldn't help it as her lips puckered out in a pout. "I already told you everything I know!"

"_And here I thought he just wanted to see how I was doing."_ Karin thought dejectedly.

"No, no, I'm not here for that." Neji said with a slight chuckle at seeing Karin's pout. "I'm here because I want to learn a little more about you."

To say Karin was shocked would have been an understatement. Her mouth went slack as she just gapped at Neji in shock.

"Y-Y-You want to k-know about me?!" Karin managed to get out as she stared on incredulously.

Neji smirked and shook his head. "Your mouth, Karin-chan."

Karin was confused for a moment until she realized her mouth was still open and snapped it shut before cover it with her hands.

"Sorry." Was all she managed to squeak out eliciting another chuckle from the Hyuuga.

"It's okay Karin-chan," Neji said moving to sit down next her but at a comfortable distance, "but is it so hard to believe that I care?"

"N-No!" Karin said quickly and then looked down with a blush.

"What did you want to know about me?" she asked shifting a little on her bed.

"Well for starters, I was hoping you could tell me where you grew up." Neji answered.

Karin went quiet and her eyes grew distant. For the longest time Neji thought she wasn't going to answer. Just as he was about to tell her she didn't have to say anything if she didn't want to she broke the silence.

"I…don't really know where I'm from." Karin said softly. "I know it was in the Land of Fire …somewhere on the coast…but I don't remember where or what the name of the village was."

Looking over to Neji she gave a weak smile. "I wish I could tell you more Neji-kun, but that's all I really remember."

Neji returned her smile with an understanding one. "It's okay Karin-chan, I was just curious."

After a moment of thought he asked another question that had been eating at the back of his mind.

"Were you an orphan when you lived in the village?" Seeing the pained look on her face he quickly added, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to. Please, forgive my intrusion."

Karin shook her head. "It's okay." Her eyes then shifted to the wall in front of her. "I wasn't an orphan when I lived in the village. I remember…I remember I had a father and mother as well as a younger brother…but that's all I can remember…"

Karin's soft voice trailed off as tears began to form in her eyes. Neji didn't know what to do or even say on the subject so he opted for asking another question.

"What happened?"

"I don't really know…again…" Karin said miserably. "I remember playing near the beach one day with some friends when I felt a really large presence of chakra coming towards the village. Of course back then I didn't know what chakra was all I knew was that something big was coming. I got really scared so I ran up the beach and into the woods and hid until it was all gone. When I returned…everyone was missing or…or dead."

Karin once again fell into silence but Neji's mind was turning as he processed what he had heard.

"Karin-chan," Neji said softly, "how old were you when this happened?"

"Four." Karin whispered, barely audible. "No wait, that's not right…I was five."

Neji nodded his head and went back to his thoughts as he could see Karin wasn't going to say anything any time soon. They stayed there together sitting in silence for several minutes before Karin's face scrunched together and she broke the quiet atmosphere.

"It's so frustrating." Karin said angrily as tears began to form again in her eyes.

"What is?" Neji asked, surprised by the amount of concern in his voice.

"They're there, I know they're real, and I know what I felt…that love and happiness…it was all real." Karin put her hands up to her chest and rested them over her heart as she began to hyperventilate.

"But whenever I try, _every time_ I try to remember what they looked like…_every time_ I try to picture their faces I just…I just can't!"

Karin's hands were now balled tightly into fists and shook with frustration and anguish. She was so emotionally out of it that she barely noticed it when Neji placed his hands gently on top of hers. Looking up with tears in her eyes, a blush dusted her cheeks as she met the soft yet intense gaze of the Hyuuga.

Reaching up slowly to give her time to stop him, Neji rested his hands on her cheeks and wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"I'm sorry." Neji said softly. "I didn't mean to make you upset like this. We don't have to talk about it anymore; I was just hoping to learn more about you."

"I-It's not y-your fault." Karin said meekly but enjoying the comfort of Neji's hands on her cheeks.

"No, it is." Neji said shaking his head. "I brought up painfully memories because of my own selfish desire to learn more about you."

Once again Neji found himself lost in Karin's eyes. Her red orbs pulling him in as he sat there holding her face in his hands. It wasn't until after several moments of silence that Neji realized his close proximity to her and broke his gaze and stood up.

"I should be going." He said quickly, turning away quickly to hide the slight blush.

Neji didn't make it a step before he felt a soft hand slip into his and clutch on desperately. Looking back he saw Karin staring at him with tears streaking down her face.

"Please." She asked quietly. "Please stay just a little while longer. I…I don't want to be alone right now."

For once in his life Neji found himself at a loss for words. Staring into the tear stricken red orbs he knew that no matter what he wanted to do he wouldn't be able to tell her no.

Not trusting his voice, Neji opted to nod a yes and sat back down next to her. Karin seemed to hesitate for a moment not sure what to do but quickly decided that she wanted the comfort. Diving in and wrapping her arms around his chest, Karin clung to him desperately as she cried quietly. Neji found himself instinctively wrapping his arms around the fragile redhead and could feel her instantly calm down. Within minutes Karin was sleeping away peacefully in his arms and for once Neji felt at peace as well. However, the look on Neji's face would say anything but that. Instead it was scrunched into a scowl as he felt an internal battle taking place.

"_This is a problem, I've become attached to her."_ Neji thought as he frowned. _"If anyone finds out about this it could become problematic for both of us."_

A soft snore directed his attention back to his chest and he couldn't help it as his frown was replaced with a smirk at what he saw: a beautiful redhead sleeping on his chest and the side of her face mashed up causing her glasses to sit at an odd angle.

"What are you getting yourself into Neji?" He asked himself with a sigh.

* * *

><p>In a dark office lit up by monitor screens a large muscular built man frowned as he stared at one monitor in particular. Still staring at the screen the man unfolded his arms and pushed the call button on a speaker.<p>

"Yes, sir?" A voice responded through the P.A. system.

"Tell Morino Ibiki that I have something he needs to see." The man replied as his frown deepened.

"Yes sir, right away Warden."

* * *

><p>"That's enough for now Naruto-kun, let's take a break." Jihibiki said as he walked over to a tree and sat down.<p>

Naruto's only response was to raggedly gasp for breath. How long had he been doing "warm-ups"? What time was it? Would there be more? All these questions raced through his head as he crawled towards the old man.

"Tch, you're just as dramatic as Renge." Jihibiki said rolling his eyes at Naruto's broken form. "All we did was warm up!"

"Bull…Shit…" Naruto gasped out in between desperate breaths of air.

The truth was that the "warm-ups" were the furthest thing from that. One thousand sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, and laps around the training field didn't sound like much, but when you had to do it none stop with your chakra sealed, well that was an entirely different story. Naruto was pretty sure he even blacked out at some point towards the end and just was on autopilot. How Lee did this on a regular basis Naruto would never understand. Then again, he was fairly certain even Lee would be sweating and gasping for breath at the end of their little "warm-ups."

Jihibiki simply chuckled as he plopped down and with a wave of his hands a basket appeared full of food and drinks. Reaching in, he grabbed a rice ball and then offered it to Naruto.

"Rice ball?" he asked innocently to which the blonde suddenly turned green and turned his head away.

"Just…want…water!" Naruto panted out.

Jihibiki shook his head but reached for a glass and poured him some water.

"You'll never get your energy back if you don't eat." He chastised.

Naruto ignored him and took the water taking a huge gulp and then dumping the rest of the ice water on his head.

"Ahhhh, much better." He said with a relieved sigh and rolled over only to feel a sharp pain in his backside.

"Ouch! What the hell?" he shouted in confusion causing Jihibiki to look at him questioningly.

Reaching back behind him, Naruto realized that whatever was stabbing him was in his pocket. Slipping his hand into it, he felt a smooth surface meet his fingers. Utterly confused he grasped the object and pulled it out only to be met with a bright, red, glittering brilliance. His face scrunched up in confusion as to what he was holding before the answer dawned on him.

"_This is that diamond stuff Jihibiki-ji used in his jutsu."_ Naruto realized.

"Huh, I forgot I had this in my pocket." Naruto said as he inspected the stone.

Naruto glanced at Jihibiki and saw him staring intently at the stone as if he was perplexed by the diamond.

"What's up Jiji? You made this stuff but you look just as surprised and confused as I am." Naruto joked.

Jihibiki eyed the stone carefully but answered. "Let me see the diamond Naruto."

Naruto cocked his head slightly in confusion but shrugged and handed the stone over. Almost instantly the diamond's red glow dimmed as soon as it left his figure tips. Both men froze; Naruto stared at the stone in shock and Jihibiki's eyes narrowed. Moving the stone closer to him, Jihibiki watched as the further away it moved from Naruto the dimmer the red light grew.

"Whoa, is it supposed to do that?" Naruto asked, mesmerized by the diamond.

Jihibiki almost didn't hear him he was staring so intently at the stone in his hand. When he did answer his voice sounded distant.

"No…no it's not supposed to do that at all." Jihibiki said as his eyes narrowed for a moment. "Hmm, I wonder…"

Taking the stone, Jihibiki moved the stone towards Naruto. Instantly the stone began to brighten more and more the closer it moved towards the blonde. Pausing for a moment just in front of Naruto, Jihibiki then moved it down his chest and the stone grew even bright. By the time it was hovering above Naruto's stomach the diamond was glowing such an intense bright red color it was nearly impossible to look at it directly.

At this point Naruto's eyes narrowed as well and he looked up at his grandfather. "You think this may be a reaction to Kyuubi's chakra?"

"I think that's exactly what it is." Jihibiki said with a nod.

"From the looks of it; the closer the diamond gets to you, the brighter it glows. Most likely the diamond is now infused with demonic chakra." Jihibiki continued as he handed the stone back to Naruto.

Naruto nodded and then a question struck him. "Hey jiji, is this stuff worth much?"

"Oh?" Jihibiki said raising an eyebrow. "Plan on pawning it off now?"

"No, no, nothing like that. Just curious really." Naruto said shaking his head.

"Well…" Jihibiki hummed out as he took a thinking pose. "That stuff usually goes for hundreds of millions of ryo, but with the demonic chakra infused in it, it very well could be priceless now. I've never seen that happen before."

Jihibiki looked over at Naruto to see him gawking at the stone.

"M-Millions of ryo?" Naruto stuttered out.

"Hundreds of millions." Jihibiki corrected with a chuckle.

"Why is it worth so much?" Naruto asked confused tearing his eyes away from the stone.

"Well that's an easy question to answer; it is real diamond after all." Jihibiki said with a shrug.

"Yeah but it's not _that_ big to be worth hundreds of millions of ryo." Naruto retorted.

"True," Jihibiki said with a nod, "but it's not normal diamond."

Seeing Naruto thoroughly confused now he elaborated.

"The Diamond Prison jutsu is a forbidden jutsu. The reason it has that classification is because of three conditions: the large amount of chakra required for it to be completed successfully as well as the huge strain put on the body."

Naruto nodded at this. "Yeah, I remember you were pretty exhausted and bloodied up after doing that one jutsu."

"Exactly." Jihibiki said with a nod.

"So what's the last requirement? You only mentioned two." Naruto asked.

"The last component that makes this jutsu forbidden is also what makes the stone extremely rare." Pointing to the stone he continued, "To complete the jutsu the user must take a portion of their life force and put it into the stone."

"Say what?" Naruto said incredulously.

Looking between the diamond and his grandfather he raised an eyebrow and pointed at Jihibiki and then to the glowing red diamond. Jihibiki chuckled at the antics but nodded his head.

"Damn," he blew out sitting back against the tree. "That's a steep price to pay."

Jihibiki nodded grimly at this.

"But why is it glowing red like this?" Naruto asked holding the precious stone and staring at it. "How did the Kyuubi's chakra become infused with it?"

"Hmm, I have a theory on that." Jihibiki said.

Once he saw he had Naruto's focus he continued. "I believe that since my life force was used to make the diamond, when it was forming around Hinata-chan the demonic chakra attached to it and fused itself with the diamond. Because diamond is naturally strong and reinforced further with my chakra and life force, the demonic chakra is trapped in there with nowhere to go."

"So this stone is kinda like a mini jinchuriki." Naruto said returning his gaze to the stone.

Jihibiki was taken by surprise for a moment at the simplistic summation of his theory.

"To sum it all up, yes." He said with a chuckle and a nod.

Naruto smirked and tossed the stone up in the air watching it dim as it went higher and higher and then brighten more as it descended and he caught it.

"I kinda like this thing." He said absent mindedly as he tossed the stone up again. "It's like the thing is a part of me."

Jihibiki watched his great grandson toss the stone up and nodded at what he said. "It most certainly is a part of you now. In fact, I doubt I could manipulate it now."

Naruto caught the diamond and cocked his head at Jihibiki. "What do you mean?"

"Forbidden Combination Jutsu: Diamond Prison." Jihibiki muttered as he flashed through the hand signs.

A small glittering ball of diamond seemingly formed out of nowhere in his hand. Forming the ram sign with his other hand, Naruto watched in fascination as the sparkling ball suddenly shifted and morphed into a magnificent glittering snowflake.

"That's amazing." Naruto said breathlessly.

Jihibiki nodded and then looked at the stone in Naruto's hand, focusing and making the ram sign once again. Naruto watched as the diamond he held pulsed and vibrated for a moment and then went still.

"It's just as I suspected." Jihibiki said.

Looking back at Jihibiki, Naruto watched as his grandfather released the hand sign and the other diamond seemed to turn to liquid and absorb back into his skin.

"The diamond is no longer under my control." Jihibiki further explained. "My chakra and life force may create the shell that contains the demonic chakra inside, but the heart and soul of that diamond belongs to you now Naruto-kun."

"Sweet! Can you teach me the jutsu and how to manipulate this?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Jihibiki took a contemplative thinking pose and hummed for a moment.

"I could teach you I guess," Jihibiki said thoughtfully. "But…" he trailed off.

"But Renge-baachan would kill you right?" Naruto said disheartened.

"Actually, no." Jihibiki said surprising Naruto.

Seeing his confusion Jihibiki reached into his robes pulled out a rope necklace. At the end of the necklace was a sparkling diamond that took the detailed shape of a mountain.

"The Diamond Prison jutsu is only forbidden to those outside the Uzumaki clan. When Uzushiogakure was still standing it was a rite of passage to learn the jutsu if any member of the clan wished to become a shinobi."

"I find it hard to believe that a genin could pull that jutsu off." Naruto said apprehensively.

"Ah we had no such thing back in the day." Jihibiki said with a laugh. "Children were trained vigorously until they were at the level of chunin. The final test was to go to another village and participate in the chunin exams. Judging on how they did in the exams would determine whether or not they would become chunin."

Then waving his hand he said. "But we're getting off track here, back to the story of the jutsu. While learning the jutsu was a rite of passage, mastering the jutsu was a whole other entity."

"How so?" Naruto asked.

"It's customary in our clan for the man to give the woman he is engaged to or courting a gift made out of the Diamond Prison jutsu. It was said that the greater the detail of the technique, the greater the love the man held for the woman."

Naruto's eyes widened at this and couldn't help but feel a rush; a sense of excitement at learning an insignificant story about his clan's culture. Probably at that particular moment, Naruto for the first time ever found himself interested in history. _His_ history.

"I can see the significance in giving a gift like that to someone special." Naruto said with a soft nod. "Giving someone precious to you a stone that's just as precious and infused with your own life force as well…" He trailed off for a moment and then smirked. "I'm not that experienced in the love department but even I can say that's pretty romantic."

Jihibiki chuckled at this and nodded. "Yep, we were commonly known as the clan of longevity but we were also known as the clan of intimacy and romance."

"So why do you have one then?" Naruto asked. "Does the woman give you a diamond too?"

Jihibiki shook his head. "No, that's the thing about the gifts being special. It's a couple's gift; one worn by the man and the other half worn by the woman."

Pointing at the base of the mountain, Naruto noticed that there was a hole. "This hole is where Renge's other half would fit. It signifies that one is not complete without the other, both are needed to be whole."

Naruto nodded in understanding but then a thought occurred to him.

"Shouldn't the woman make a half for the man infused with her own life force then?"

"Nope." Jihibiki answered shaking his head. "It was the Uzumaki's belief that the man should sacrifice mind, body, and soul for the woman he loved and that she shouldn't have to waste her precious life force on things like a piece of jewelry." His eyes narrowed a bit. "She would need every drop for giving birth later on."

"Besides," Jihibiki added as an afterthought. "It would be a little difficult to surprise the woman you love with a proposal if she helped make the damn thing."

He chuckled and paused for a moment in thought before looking at Naruto.

"So, what are you gonna do for that little Hyuuga princess?" Jihibiki asked with a wink.

"L-Let's just f-focus on our clan!" Naruto shouted out as best he could with his stutter and crimson blush.

Jihibiki laughed at him but rolled his eyes at the same time. "I supposed I can teach you how to do the Diamond Prison jutsu this week on one condition."

Looking at Naruto with serious hardened eyes he spoke. "You always recall the jutsu after you've done it and you don't attempt the manipulation part until after you've spent the week training with Renge."

Naruto could tell Jihibiki was serious. The happy energetic air that usually accompanied the aged Uzumaki was gone, lost in a serious atmosphere that had suddenly fallen around them. It amazed him that his grandfather could go from childish one second to dead serious the next as if it was as simple and easy as giving the time of day.

Swallowing, Naruto nodded his head. "I promise to do this your way Jihibiki-ji."

And just like that the switch flipped and Jihibiki was back to all smiles.

"Wonderful!" he said cheerily as he clapped his hands causing Naruto to sweat drop at the seemingly bipolar senior.

"Oh my, we have been resting for too long! Back to training!" Jihibiki hollered as he stood up and pointed out to the field.

Naruto groaned as he put the diamond back in his pocket and forced himself to his feet.

"At least we're working on jutsu now." he grumbled to himself as he shuffled out to the training field.

"Oh trust me Naruto-kun," Jihibiki said with an evil grin. "By the end of the week you'll be looking forward to warm-ups and dreading jutsu practice."


	21. The Growing Clouds of Fear

**Hey everyone! Yep, back again already, this must be some sort of record. For those of you wondering, there is going to be a time skip when it comes to the one month training. I really don't feel like it is necessary to write out an entire month of training so I will hit the highlights and important parts. Now I know this is a somewhat shorter chapter but believe me when I say this chapter is CRUCIAL for Naruto's development. Hopefully by the end I'll have you squealing like little school girls.**

**Thanks for the reviews for last chapter everyone. I'm so glad that I still have the support and following of you guys. Also, I noticed that the number of you now following this story has increased greatly so to those of you new here welcome and enjoy. **

**Finally, there is a Bleach reference in here somewhere that I used. I tweaked it just a bit to fit this story but I just had to use it. It fit perfectly so let me know if you can find it!**

**Okami Cage: I wasn't really sure what to make of that review but it definitely made me laugh. As for the Diamond Prison jutsu, I will go into a little more depth on it in this chapter. If you still have questions on it just ask and I'll try to answer ya!**

**Infinite Dragon: As you could plainly see, that's what happens when you take a month and a half off from writing. Heh, sorry about that, I always get the two mixed up. Anyways, it's great to be back and hear from ya!**

**Kevin Manly: Thanks for the pep talk it means a lot. I'm glad I managed to bring you back in and glad to have you as a loyal reader.**

**Previously:** Naruto was kidnapped and taken away to a secluded training field by Renge and Jihibiki to begin his Fuinjutsu training. After going over the training details, Renge left Jihibiki to Naruto's training stating that he had one week before she took over. After some hellacious warm-ups, the two take a break and Jihibiki explains the history and the workings of the Diamond Prison jutsu. Elsewhere, Akesuke arrived in Hiashi's office to inform him that the elders were on the move and planning something in conjunction with a contact from outside the village. Hiashi finally admits its time to go to the Hokage and inform her of the situation. In the mean time, the two devise a strategy for Akesuke to gain the trust of the elders. Neji on the other hand finds himself stuck in no-man's-land, caught between developing feelings of a potential enemy and his duty to his village and friend. At the same time, Neji has become increasingly suspicious of Karin's heritage.

**Chapter 20: The Growing Clouds of Fear**

"You failed; do it again!"

Naruto swore under his breath as he picked himself up off the ground for the umpteenth time that morning. Sweat dripped down his dirt covered face as he pushed himself up and tried to ignore the screams of pain from his body ordering him to stop. Shoving it to the back of his mind, Naruto did his best to prepare for his grandfather's continued assault.

It had been one week since Naruto had started training with his great grandfather in the art of Fuinjutsu. One week of grueling training that left the blonde ninja known for his endless stamina exhausted by the time they were done for the day. If he was honest with himself he should have expected it if the way Renge and Jihibiki had brought him, or rather kidnapped him away, to the training ground had been any indication. Then again, not many people would know what to expect if they were kidnapped. Attempting to clear his head, Naruto did his best to focus on his grandfather but his tired mind slipped away and the memory of his kidnapping resurfaced.

"_Kami, I was an idiot for agreeing to this training." _He thought bitterly. _"Seriously, this old geezer is frickin' nuts!"_ Naruto thought as he dodged swipe to the ribs from a metal staff that Jihibiki seemingly pulled out of nowhere and frowned.

He frowned not because his grandfather almost landed a hit on him, but because once again he received no comment on his inner monologue from the fox.

Yes, it had also been one week since he had spoken to the fox. Normally Naruto wouldn't have minded the extra peace and quiet. Considering how they left things with their last conversation though, Naruto found the fox's silence more and more unsettling as well as left a bad taste in his mouth. He had tried going into his mindscape to find Kyuubi and talk to him but he was never anywhere to be found. Instead, every time he entered the world all that met him was a dead barren forest void of all life and color and drenched in a down pour. Kyuubi had completely become withdrawn and his lack of commentary on Naruto's daily life was beginning to grate on Naruto's nerves in ways he never imagined.

"_Damnit Kurama, say something!"_ Naruto shouted in his head but he was met once again with silence.

That was another nugget of knowledge that Naruto had just learned recently as well. The demonic fox's name was Kurama. Now that Naruto thought about it, he wondered why he hadn't picked it up before when Jihibiki mentioned it in passing. In fact, Naruto had been completely surprised that Kurama even had a name which caused Jihibiki to laugh at him.

"You mean to tell me that in the 16 years of living inside of you he never once told you his name?" Jihibiki had asked laughing incredulously.

"It's not my fault the damn fox is so secretive and vague!" Naruto had shouted back in his defense.

If Naruto was honest with himself though, he never did ask Kurama if he had a name. He always just assumed the fox went by Kyuubi. Sighing mentally at the silence that Kurama continued to keep, Naruto turned his focus back to Jihibiki's continued and relentless assault.

The living fossil's training methods were questionable at best. He was the complete embodiment of the term "Baptism by fire." After showing Naruto the hands seals a few times to the jutsu they were working on, Jihibiki had decided to start launching kunai, shuriken, and any other small object at Naruto that would hurt considerably as "motivation." To say Naruto was upset by this strategy would have been understatement. But Naruto had endured the same when he studied under Jiraiya so he did his best to bite his tongue and hold on. However, that task was something that Naruto found harder to do with each passing day as his progress seemed to be almost nonexistent. Every passing hour he grew more and more frustrated with his inability to progress at all.

The first day Naruto had learned the hand seals involved for the jutsu and practiced them. It was all he could do after they had finished the "warm-ups". The second day proved to be the most progressive out of the week. He learned how to summon the seal involved for the jutsu and once again by the end of the day he was exhausted but happy that he could make it appear. Unfortunately Naruto seemed to plateau at this point. On the third day he learned how to maintain the seal for extended periods of time but failed to do so for more than a second. He spent the rest of the week, day in and day out trying as hard as he could to maintain the seal so it could activate and work. It was now the seventh day and Naruto had progressed only so far in ability to keep the seal activated for three seconds.

"_What the hell am I doing wrong?!"_ Naruto asked himself as he flipped backwards to avoid a thrust from a spear Jihibiki now held and to put some distance behind them.

In an instant Jihibiki had eight kunai appear in his hands, one in between each finger, and let them all loose in a hailing fury.

Naruto responded by summoning his chakra and flipping through the hands seals his great grandfather had shown him.

"Sealing Art: Space/Time Jutsu!" Naruto yelled out as he finished his hand seals and thrust his hand out to the incoming steel projectiles.

A seal appeared in the air in front of his palm and then spread out in a large pattern. Naruto gritted his teeth and he did his best to focus and maintain the seal, something that he still couldn't do.

"_Focus…"_ Naruto told himself as he watched the kunai close in. "_Focus…I got this. I got this. I got- oh shit!"_ Naruto's eyes widened as the seal in front of him flickered and then disappeared into thin air leaving him with nothing but a wave of unforgiving steel bearing down on him.

With no other options left, Naruto did the last thing he wanted to do: he threw himself to the ground.

"You failed again, Naruto." Jihibiki stated calmly.

"Thank you, captain obvious!" Naruto shouted in frustration.

He groaned audibly as he picked himself up again. _"Why?"_ Naruto asked himself desperately while ignoring the pain spiking through his body. _"Why can't I get this damn jutsu down?!"_

Naruto stood up and swayed back and forth slightly, doing his best to steady himself. Jihibiki looked at him skeptically and cocked an eyebrow. Glancing at the sun and then back at the blonde he spoke.

"How about we take a break and eat breakfast Naruto-kun?"

"Hell no! We keep going until I get this right!" Naruto shouted back as he raised his fists and slipped into a defensive stance.

Jihibiki closed his eyes and sighed. This type of response was becoming more and more common as the week dragged on. He could almost feel the desperation in his voice, hell; it practically radiated from Naruto but for what reasons still remained a mystery to him. He understood that Naruto wanted to learn his father's jutsu but it didn't happen overnight and it most certainly didn't happen in a week. Granted, Naruto's progress was unusually slow for someone that seemingly absorbed everything like a sponge but the jutsu he was trying to perform was still no easy task. No, there was another underlying cause for the desperation that Naruto was feeling, and while Jihibiki had an idea of what it might be, until Naruto talked about it he was in the dark.

Opening his eyes again he looked into the eyes of his grandson that held a pleading look laced with desperation and spoke. "I can understand that you want to learn your father's jutsu Naruto-kun, but working yourself this hard can be counter-productive."

"I'm fine!" Naruto answered sharply even if he looked anything but. "This is my last day with you before Renge-baachan takes over in my training. I want- no, I _need_ to get this right!"

Jihibiki narrowed his eyes as he stared at the exhausted blonde in front of him. "One more time. We'll go one more time and then we'll take a break." Naruto opened his mouth to argue but he cut him off. "If you argue then we'll stop and be done for the day. Understood?"

Naruto scowled. Something he also seemed to be doing a lot lately as well, but nodded nonetheless. He tensed waiting for Jihibiki to make the first move but was surprised when the old crow pulled out a single kunai and took a relaxed stance.

Seeing the surprised and questioning look, Jihibiki answered it. "I want your full concentration on this one. Close your eyes and relax your breathing."

Naruto seemed hesitant at first but after a moment of consideration nodded his head and did as he was instructed. As he did so he heard Jihibiki continue to give him orders.

"Feel the world around you. Almost like when you enter sage mode except this time focus on time itself instead of your environment. Feel the time pass you by like a soft breeze. Let it flow through you, around you, become a part of you."

As Naruto did as he was told the world seemed to slow down and become sharper even with his eyes closed. He could hear the soft breeze that swept across the grass and rustled his grandfather's robes. He could feel the sun just peaking over the trees where they were training and slowly begin to warm the cool earth. It felt just like it did when he began to enter sage mode yet this time something felt different. He could feel something running against his body, through it, over it. Tugging at him and passing through him at the same time. It was an odd feeling and yet somehow he knew that feeling was what he was looking for. Opening his eyes he felt focused for the first time in a week. Seeing the look in his great grandson's eyes, Jihibiki knew that Naruto had finally found what he had been searching for. With the slightest movement and the flick of the wrist, Jihibiki let loose the kunai and watched as it sailed towards Naruto.

Naruto watched the kunai fly towards his head as if it were moving in slow motion. He felt as if he had all the time in the world and could practically see the ripples the kunai gave off as it sliced through the air. Flashing through the hand seals at blinding speeds Naruto thrust his hand out once again and called out the name in a relaxed and calm voice.

"Sealing Art: Space/Time Jutsu."

The seal appeared once again just in front of his palm and spread out in a large pattern. He watched as the kunai came closer and closer until finally the tip was mere inches away from the seal. Focusing as best he could, Naruto watched as the kunai reached the seal and the tip seemed to dematerialize. Then the blade did, and seen the hilt followed. Naruto's heart jumped at what he saw before him and his mind instantly began to race. Due to the sudden lack in concentration the seal in Naruto's hand flickered out of existence. Fortunately, the seal had absorbed the kunai before it had completely disappeared. Unfortunately, the ring at the end of the handle remained in their dimension. Naruto had just enough time for his eyes to widen in surprise and watch as the ring sail right between the fingers of his spread out palm and drill him straight in the nose.

The sound of crunching bone could be heard across the field followed by Naruto's shouts of pain and frustration.

"Sonofafuckingbitch!" Naruto shouted out painfully as he rolled around in the grass nursing his now broken nose and doing his best to fight back the tears.

Jihibiki shook his head and sighed before heading over to sit down underneath a tree. A minute later Naruto finally stopped shouting and sat up. Bracing himself for moment, there was an audible crack as he reset his nose followed be a sharp yelp of pain. Finally standing up, Naruto trudged over to where his grandfather was sitting and plopped down next to him. They ate in relative silence until Jihibiki could no longer stand it and spoke first.

"So, are you excited that you finally seem to be making progress?"

To Jihibiki's surprise it was a scowl and not a grin that graced Naruto's face.

"It isn't good enough." was all Naruto said as he finished off his rice ball.

"What isn't good enough?" Jihibiki asked genuinely confused.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as he thought about what to say and what not to say. "My progress is terrible. This is my last day with you and I wanted to have the first part of this technique down before I switched over to Renge-baachan. Today is my last shot to become stronger…"

Once again Jihibiki was able to pick up on the hint of desperation in his grandson's voice. However, since Naruto refused to talk about what was truly bothering him Jihibiki decided to not probe him any further. When he was ready to talk, he would. Naruto sighed as he leant back against the tree and seemed to become lost in thought. After a few more seconds of silence he broke it with a question that had been eating away at him.

"Hey Jihibiki-ji, I'm still a little confused on how this whole training process works. Why am I starting to learn how to do the Space/Time jutsu instead of the Flying Thunder God jutsu?"

Jihibiki's head dropped in self pity. He had lost track of how many times he had tried to explain to Naruto how the seal worked that week. Taking a deep breath in an attempt to stem the growing irritation he began to explain.

"The Space/Time jutsu works by setting up a seal barrier that activates once something touches or passes through it. Once activated, the seal transports the offending object to a parallel dimension where it will remain until summoned back to its original dimension. Someone unfamiliar with such a technique could actually mistake it for a Summoning jutsu."

Jihibiki paused at this moment and looked at Naruto. "Still with me?"

Receiving a nod from the blonde he continued. "Now, it is important to understand that while the Space/Time jutsu sounds similar to a regular Summoning jutsu, they are actually quite different. Not so much in how they technically work but in how they're abilities work. The Summoning jutsu's ability is very narrow because it only works between a shinobi and a summon once a link has been established. This is more commonly known as a summoning contract. The Space/Time jutsu's ability is much broader than the Summoning jutsu's however, and does not require such a link. In a sense, not only is it much broader in its abilities but also vaguer."

"Vaguer?" Naruto asked confused as his eyebrows furrowed together.

"I'm getting there." Jihibiki said reassuringly. "The Space/Time jutsu is vaguer because it does not require an actual summon to work. It could be anything from a kunai to a jutsu to even an enemy. Furthermore, the jutsu does not _have_ to transport an object to a parallel dimension but can be anchored to this dimension via a sister seal placed elsewhere. When the object in question passes through the activated seal it is instantly transported to the location of the sister seal."

At hearing this Naruto's eyes lit up as he began to make the connection between what or who, in this case, could be transported to the sister seal.

"Because of this, the Space/Time jutsu is vastly more superior to the Summoning jutsu because of the endless possibilities." Jihibiki finished.

"So then that's how dad was able to use the Flying Thunder God jutsu." Naruto said excitedly.

Jihibiki however shook his head and held up his hand. "Slow down Naruto-kun, you're getting ahead of yourself. There's more to it than just that. If that was the case in how the jutsu worked, then anyone could perform the technique."

Naruto frowned at having the wrong idea at how the jutsu worked but kept his mouth closed and listened intently.

"Now you are, to a certain degree, right in thinking that that is how the Flying Thunder God jutsu works. Yes, if you look at the basics you are technically transporting yourself from one seal to a sister seal. However, the Space/Time jutsu is a completely different technique from the Flying Thunder God technique."

"But you just said they were the same in how they worked! How are they different then?" Naruto asked thoroughly confused now.

"They are different because the Flying Thunder God jutsu is a more specified version of the Space/Time jutsu." Jihibiki answered. He nearly laughed at the hopeless look that now graced Naruto's face.

"But…But wouldn't that make it a Summoning jutsu then?" Naruto asked helplessly.

"No, because a Summoning jutsu is too specified: it can only work with a summon." Jihibiki answered.

"That's the same damn thing that the Flying Thunder God does!" Naruto shouted in frustration. "You _summon_ yourself to a sister seal!"

"Exactly!" Jihibiki said cheerily.

Then look on Naruto's face at that moment was priceless. So much so that Jihibiki finally lost all self control and began to laugh uncontrollably at his hopelessly confused grandson.

"God damn it, Jihibiki!" Naruto shouted finally becoming fed up with his elder clansman's antics. "This is why I don't get anything you explain! How the hell am I supposed to understand what you're saying when you keep contradicting everything you say?!"

At this point Naruto was standing and pointing an accusatory finger at Jihibiki and breathing heavily. Doing his best to calm down Jihibiki motioned for Naruto to sit which he did after a hesitant scowl.

Jihibiki could see that he had completely lost Naruto so he decided to change tactics. Thinking on what to do, Jihibiki noticed the breakfast basket sitting in front of them and got an idea. Reaching into their basket he pulled out an apple and held it up before speaking.

"Naruto-kun, this apple falls into the classification of fruit correct?"

Naruto nodded his head but remained confused.

"So how about we use fruit to represent the classification of Space/Time jutsus." Jihibiki explained.

Reaching into the basket again he pulled out a cherry and a blueberry and then held them up as well.

"And these two are considered fruit as well, correct?"

Once again Naruto nodded in the affirmative.

"Therefore, while each and every one of these is a fruit they are still their own separate entities. This also means that each one of these technically falls into the Space/Time jutsu classification. Now, if we think about it, this blueberry here could represent the Summoning jutsu because its size represents how specified and limited it is."

Setting the blueberry down on top of the basket he then picked up the apple.

"Looking at the size of this apple, we could assume that it could best represent the Space/Time jutsu because its abilities are seemingly endless compared to the blueberry."

Jihibiki set the apple down as well and then picked up the cherry.

"Now this cherry is not big but it isn't small either. It is right in between the apple and the blueberry. The sweet spot if you will. Therefore we could say that this cherry represents the Flying Thunder God jutsu because it is specific, like the blueberry, but limitless, like the apple."

Jihibiki could see the wheels turning in Naruto's head so he knew that he was getting through to him.

"So you're saying," Naruto said slowly, "that even though each of these is a separate jutsu, they all still fall under the category of Space/Time?"

"Yep!" Jihibiki said happily.

"Okay I get that much then." Naruto said as Jihibiki breathed a sigh of relief. "But how is the cherry not limited like the blueberry?" And just like that Jihibiki deflated.

"What do you mean Naruto?" Jihibiki asked rubbing his temple.

"I mean that they are both basically doing the same thing: summoning. So how is one limited while the other isn't?" Naruto asked.

"Oh!" Jihibiki said expecting his explanation to be a lot worse. "That's probably the simplest part."

Naruto cocked his head to the side but he continued his explanation.

"You see the Summoning jutsu is limited because it has multiple requirements for the technique to actually be performed successfully. These requirements are chakra, blood, and hand seals or in some cases a seal that has been written before hand. The Flying Thunder God jutsu does not require these conditions to be met except for the first one, chakra. That is why the latter technique is not as limited as the Summoning jutsu."

Naruto just blinked. "Oh…well that makes sense I guess."

Jihibiki breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he wasn't going to have to explain it to blonde again. Then again, it had _only_ taken him an entire week before he finally understood it.

"Glad you _finally_ got it." Jihibiki said with a sigh as he leaned up against the tree.

Ignoring the glare his grandson was shooting him he asked, "Do you want to work on the Diamond Prison Jutsu some more before we call it a day?"

Once again Naruto's face furrowed as a frown formed. That was a sore subject for Naruto as well. Just like the Hiraishin, the Diamond Prison jutsu was a work in progress and once again that progress was non-existent.

"I probably should but I'm going nuts with this damn elemental chakra mastery!" Naruto said with a huff as he crossed his arms. "Earth is hard but it isn't too bad I guess and wind I've already mastered. But this fire manipulation training sucks something else."

Jihibiki nodded in understanding. "I know it's difficult. Not many people are capable of mastering earth, fire, and wind to the degree necessary to form diamond for the jutsu. In fact, the only person I know of at this time that is capable of this jutsu other than an Uzumaki is the third Tsuchikage, Onoki."

"Hey knows the Diamond Prison jutsu?" Naruto asked surprised.

"No, no, not at all." Jihibiki said shaking his head. "The Diamond Prison jutsu is a closely guarded secret of the Uzumaki clan. All I'm saying is that the Tsuchikage has the ability to do the jutsu if he wanted. He has already mastered all three elements and has an ability that is probably the exact opposite of the Diamond Prison jutsu."

"And what would that jutsu be?" Naruto asked now completely enthralled.

"It's called the Particle Release jutsu. Basically he can disassemble anything he wants down to the near molecule level." Jihibiki answered. "But we're getting off topic again. What do you want to focus on training in for the rest of the day?"

Naruto sighed and lay back on the ground. _"Which one should I work on?"_

A sudden flashback to his dream of Hinata lying in the hospital broken and dying and he knew his answer.

"We're going to work on both of them." Naruto said as his face hardened.

"I am going to have to say no to that idea." Jihibiki said shaking his head.

This was met with an angry glare from Naruto. Jihibiki was about to dismiss the look entirely when he noticed something about Naruto. It was brief; the slightest flicker of existence, but it was still there. It was a glint in the eye, a look a pure anger and rage. A look that spoke volumes about the fear that seized his heart and the anger that threatened to overtake him if he didn't stop it. Jihibiki had seen it before and he knew what the outcome could be.

"Naruto, what's bothering you?" Jihibiki asked. "You've be acting more and more strange as the week has progressed. What is it?"

"Nothing is wrong jiji. Just frustrated with these jutsus." Naruto said trying to end the conversation.

Jihibiki wasn't going to buy it though. "Naruto-kun, you know you can tell me anything right? We're family-"

"-I said nothing is wrong damn it!" Naruto shouted cutting him off.

A heavy silence fell over the two as Naruto glared at Jihibiki and Jihibiki just stared at Naruto. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Jihibiki sighed to himself and soundlessly stood up before turning to Naruto.

"Get up." He said.

"But we just sat down." Naruto said still angry but nonetheless confused.

"I said, get up." Jihibiki ordered again, still staring at Naruto as if he was the most disinteresting thing in the world.

Slightly irked now, Naruto struggled to his feet and stared back at his grandfather. He was about to asked what they were doing when a blinding force smashed into his jaw and sent him skidding and tumbling out onto the training ground. When he finally came to a stop Naruto slowly sat up with a groan and shook the spots from his vision.

"What the fuck was that?!" Naruto yelled in anger as Jihibiki calmly walked towards.

"Fight me." was all the aged Uzumaki said.

"You can't be serious!" Naruto yelled as he stood up. "What about my training?!"

Faster than Naruto was ready for Jihibiki appeared next to him and sent a rib crushing blow to his side that sent him tumbling yet again.

"I don't think you understand." Jihibiki said calmly walking towards Naruto as he struggled to his feet. "This isn't a request. Fight me. If you're going to be a brat and not tell me what's bothering you then I'll just beat it out of you."

"Fine! If that's what you want then just, fine!" Naruto shouted as he pulled out a kunai and charged Jihibiki.

Jihibiki responded by summoning a metal staff and spinning it around his body. Once Naruto was in range he whipped it around his body and lashed out at the blonde. This time Naruto was ready and blocked the staff with his kunai before summoning a single clone who continued on towards Jihibiki while the real Naruto grabbed onto the staff preventing Jihibiki from using it. As the clone approached and swiped with the kunai Jihibiki did a back flip while going through a few hand seals. As soon as his feet hit the ground he raised a hand and a spear burst from the ground skewering the clone.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock. _"He can do wordless jutsus?"_

"You seem surprised Naruto." Jihibiki said calmly as he began walking towards the blonde. "Are you surprised that I can perform jutsu without calling them out? Well I can assure you, I can do much more than just that."

With a burst of speed Jihibiki quickly closed the distance between the two. Naruto's first response was to swing the staff at his oncoming grandfather. However, Jihibiki did nothing to change course or even attempt to block the staff. With mere inches to go before contact Jihibiki made a hand sign and Naruto watched as a seal appeared and pulsed on the staff before it poofed out of existence. Naruto's eyes widened as the weight and momentum from the staff disappeared sending him reeling off balance. Jihibiki capitalized on this as he closed the rest of the distance and met him with a devastating uppercut to his gut and then a side kick that sent him flying. After flying only a few feet however Jihibiki thrust his arm out towards Naruto's retreating body, made a fist like he was grabbing something, and then yanked back. Naruto was confused by the action until he heard a loud crack from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder he had enough time to see a large pillar of earth burst from the ground and smash into his back sending him back towards Jihibiki.

Seeing that Jihibiki was winding up for round two, Naruto made the cross sign with his fingers to summon a clone.

"I don't think so." Jihibiki said as he made the ram sign and the kanji for 'seal' glowed on Naruto's bracelets.

Instantly Naruto's limbs felt heavy and he could feel his chakra leave him as he hit the ground and skidded.

"No fair!" Naruto shouted out angrily as he forced himself up.

"Oh but it is." Jihibiki said simply. "We'll do this like men. We'll talk with our fists and let our emotions be conveyed through our blows."

Naruto growled in anger and frustration. Why wouldn't the old bat just leave him alone? It wasn't his problem, it wasn't his concern. It had nothing to do with him and yet Jihibiki was insisting on Naruto telling him everything. Naruto gritted his teeth and raced towards Jihibiki. If he wanted to fight with just their fists, then the old man was going to get Nartuo's fists.

Drawing back his fist, Naruto charged Jihibiki while the man stood there waiting for him. Upon reaching Jihibiki, Naruto let loose his fist and slammed it into his jaw. A dull thud could be heard across the training ground along with the sound of bones groaning under extreme pressure.

Jihibiki, on his part, just stood there and took the blow not even sliding back an inch or showing any outward sign of pain. He simply craned his head back around and raised an eyebrow at Naruto.

Naruto was shocked for a split second at his grandfather's failure to defend himself but it quickly turned to outrage when he saw Jihibiki's taunt. Drawing back his other fist, Naruto slammed it into Jihibiki's gut lifting him an inch off the ground and causing him to buckle over. When he pulled back Jihibiki stayed like that for a moment before slowly straightening himself upright.

"I see." Jihibiki said calmly staring into Naruto's eyes. "So you're afraid, is that it?"

"As if!" Naruto shouted as went to kick his grandfather in the side only to have it blocked.

"No, no, you are definitely afraid." Jihibiki said with a nod.

Naruto growled and attacked Jihibiki in full force sending flurries of kicks and punches everywhere. His frustration only grew more as he couldn't seem to land a hit on the old man. The harder he tried, the easier it seemed that Jihibiki blocked him. Finally, after a blocked jab Jihibiki responded with a powerful heel palm to Naruto's face that sent him sliding back.

"How disappointing, Naruto. Truly, disappointing." Jihibiki said sadly shaking his head. "There is nothing but fear reflected in your heart."

Naruto responded with an angry growl and a right hook to Jihbiki's ribs.

"Every punch says, 'I'm afraid of failing.'" Jihibiki said shrugging off his blow and returning his own.

Naruto ducked back and Jihibiki continued. "Every dodge yells, 'I'm afraid of failing myself.'"

Continuing his assault on Naruto Jihibiki continued to speak. "When you're protecting someone it screams, 'I'm of afraid of failing them!'

At hearing this Naruto's eyes widened and he jumped back several feet putting distance between the two. He looked at his grandfather in a mixture of anguish and shock at how easily Jihibiki could read him.

"Yes, Naruto-kun, your heart only speaks to me of senseless and irrational fear." Jihibiki said somberly. "What's necessary in a fight is not fear. Nothing can be born or accomplished from that."

With a burst of sped Jihibiki appeared in front of Naruto and threw a powerful right hook causing the blonde to block and stay on the defensive as he renewed his relentless assault.

"When you attack it should say, 'I will not fail.'" He said as he punched Naruto.

"When you dodge it should yell, "I will not fail myself.'" He said again while ducking under Naruto's wild haymaker.

"When you are protecting someone it should scream, "I _will not_ fail them!'" He said once more head butting Naruto.

"Can you not hear what my heart is saying now?" Jihibiki asked as he raised his foot and lashed out with a kick. "How it declares that it will not fail no matter what?"

Naruto failed to block a kick to the chest and felt as if his very life force was crushed out of him as he went rocketing backwards and skidded several feet on his back. Sitting up painfully slow, Naruto looked at Jihibiki with mixed emotions.

Jihibiki seemed to evaluate him with a scrutinizing gaze. "Fear is written on your face, Naruto-kun, etched into your very skin. Where is the face of the man that stopped the destruction of his village? Where is the heart of the man that did not know the meaning of failure? Where are the defiant eyes of the man that never gave in to his fears?"

"SHUT UP!" Naruto roared as he stood and charged Jihibiki.

He threw his attacks blindly, not caring if he landed blows or was hit in return. His mind was spinning in helpless confusion and his heart was crying out desperately for answers that he did not have.

"_Why?"_ he asked himself. _"Why am I so afraid?! Where has my confidence gone? My determination? My will?"_

Jihibiki and Naruto were now standing right in front of each other beating one another senselessly. Neither one of them bothered to block the other's attack but rather take the hit and wind up for the next punch. Dull thuds and sickening smacks rang out across the field. Blood splattered their bodies, bones ground away at each other, and sinew groaned under the pressure. Their conversation was a wordless one, spoken only through battle. Their thoughts and feelings conveyed through their fists as they beat away on each other.

"_What is it I'm afraid of?"_ Naruto asked desperately. _"What is it that is holding back?"_

"_When will you see it?" _Jihibiki asked in return. _"When will you finally acknowledge its existence?"_

"_See what? Acknowledge what?!" _Naruto asked desperately.

His mind demanded the answer to his question and yet in his heart he felt only reluctance. He felt as if he already knew the answer and yet he couldn't remember what it was.

"_It's so blatantly obvious!"_ Jihibiki said. _"It's practically screaming the answer right in front of you and still you do not hear it!"_

"_Hear what?! Tell me, please!" _Naruto begged.

Catching his fist, Jihibiki pulled Naruto in close and looked him in the eyes.

"You refuse to see that you _care_ for her_._ You're afraid that when the war starts you will fail her_._ You're afraid that when she needs you the most you won't be there for her, be able to save her, to protect her."

He then leaned in so that only Naruto could hear him, his response barely audible as he whispered the last part into Naruto's ear.

"You're afraid to accept that you _love_ her."

Silence was the only thing that filled the field as a lone breeze swept through.


	22. A Game of Shadows

**Hey everyone I'm back. I know that it's been forever again and I'm sorry. Please understand though that it's finals week so I have been busy like crazy with this end of semester bullshit. On the bright side I should have an enormous amount of free time this summer so hopefully that means lots of regular updates! Anyways, I'm glad to see you all loved the last chapter so thank you for the support! As repentance for taking so long I have a short Omake at the end so enjoy!  
><strong>

**Okami Cage: I was going to answer your first question later on but it isn't that serious in my opinion. Yes, technically Jihibiki and Renge are Naruto's blood relatives. You say you're getting mixed signals about Sasuke? Good. I personally don't like the guy, I find him annoying and whiny. However, in this story I plan on making him different so stay confused lol. As for the last question about the Diamond Prison Jutsu: The sky is the limit with this jutsu. You can form a shield barrier; make spiked weapons, blades, kunai, anything. I hope that answers your questions!**

**Last time: **Jihibiki and Naruto have been training for a now. Over the course of the week Naruto has been trying to learn the Diamond Prison Jutsu which involves the mastering of Earth, Wind, and Fire nature manipulation. Also, Naruto has begun to learn the Space/Time jutsu that his father was so well known for. However, Naruto's lack of progress has slowly been eating away at him and finally comes to a head with Jihibiki. In a show down between the two Uzumakis, Jihibiki finally asks the question that has been eating away at Naruto. Why won't you accept that you love Hinata?

On to the story!

**Chapter 21: A Game of Shadows**

Naruto's eyes widened slowly at what he had just heard.

"W-What did you just say?" he whispered quietly.

"You heard me, Naruto." Jihibiki said seriously, staring him in the eyes. "You won't admit that you've fallen in love with her."

Naruto's mind was sent reeling as he stumbled back away from Jihibiki. His throat began to constrict and he could feel his legs starting to shake.

"Th-That's not true!" Naruto said shaking his head. "My feelings for her are only in a friendly way!"

"You shouldn't lie to yourself, Naruto." Jihibiki said bluntly while taking a step forward. For every step Jihibiki took forward, Naruto took one back.

"Why are you denying what you feel?" Jihibiki asked.

Naruto couldn't come up with an answer to what Jihibiki had asked. His mind couldn't think straight. It was a clashing storm of emotions inside of him.

"_What do I do? What do I think?" _Naruto asked himself desperately as the battle raged on inside of him. _"My mind is telling me that it isn't true, that what I feel is nothing more than a deep caring for her at the most. That there's nothing there, but my heart…"_

He trailed off as his hand came up and clutched his chest.

"_My heart is telling me that it is true…That she is the most important and precious person to me. It says that I need her! I want her! I love her!"_

"Naruto."

Naruto looked up at Jihibiki through tears he didn't even know he was shedding.

"I know that you're confused right now and that's okay. Love is…well love is a tricky thing to make sense of." Jihibiki said reassuringly. "But you've got to stop lying to yourself. It's obvious that you care deeply about her and you know that. So why are you trying to stop it from happening? You know that you love her."

Naruto's jaw clenched for a moment before he opened his mouth to answer. However, before he could say anything he saw flashes of Hinata again, bloody, broken, and dying in his arms. The tears renewed themselves and his legs finally gave out as he slumped to his knees.

"I know I do." Naruto whispered quietly.

"What?" Jihibiki asked surprise.

"I know that I love her." Naruto said again quietly. "I've gone most of my life without feeling love. It wasn't until I met Tsunade-baachan that I really began to feel what it might have felt like."

His hand clutched tighter over his chest as he did his best to suppress a sob before continuing.

"After Pain's invasion it was all I could think about. The fear I felt when I saw her jump in to save me. The happiness I felt at just hearing those three words from her. The full unbridled rage I felt when I thought Pain had killed her…"

Naruto looked up at Jihibiki.

"I thought about it all replaying it over in my mind. Minute after minute, hour after hour, day after day I thought about it!"

A heavy silence fell over the two of them as they stared at each other before Jihibiki finally spoke.

"Then why do you still fight it?"

"The images…" Naruto answered quietly. "…The visions…the dreams…" Closing his eyes he clutched his head. "I almost lost her once; I don't want to lose her again…I'm afraid that when the war starts I won't be strong enough, just like you said…I'm afraid that when it starts, she'll die because of me."

Jihibiki walked forward and kneeled down in front of Naruto.

"Naruto look at me." He said placing a hand on his shoulder.

Naruto looked up at him no longer worried about the wet streaks that ran down his face.

"Fear is something that we must all over come." Jihibiki said quietly but held firmness in his eyes. "It can cripple us, cause us to do irrational things that we normally wouldn't do, but it can also serve a useful purpose."

"What is it?" Naruto asked not even bothering to hide the pleading in his voice.

Giving a soft smile Jihibiki spoke. "It can serve as motivation. It can push us to overcome any obstacle, to drive through and persevere. Fear kept in check can be the force that allows us to continue on and not falter. Do you know why?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Because just a tiny bit of fear can remind us that if we don't keep trying, if we don't keep pushing and striving to become better, then it may become a reality."

Jihibiki's gaze hardened not at Naruto but at the words he spoke.

"The reality is that this world is going to go to war. Hinata, you, and everyone else will have to fight to preserve the world you live in now. She may die, she may not, but let me ask you this one question."

Peering into Naruto's eyes and searching his heart he asked, "Would you want Hinata to fight alone and maybe die, or would you rather be by her side and keep her safe?"

Naruto's eyes widened for a split second before they took on a steely glint and narrowed.

"_There's the look."_ Jihibiki thought as he smiled inwardly.

"Now that you have your answer," he said as he stood up and offered out a hand, "how about we work on your nature manipulation."

Naruto wiped the remnant tears from his eyes and grasped his hand firmly. Walking back towards their tree Jihibiki broke the silence one more time.

"Oh, one more thing Naruto."

"Yeah, Jiji?" Naruto asked.

"Be a good lad and never hit your grandpappy again, okay?" Jihibiki said as he rubbed his jaw absentmindedly.

Naruto shook his head with a smirk and rolled his eyes.

* * *

><p>Neji made his way through the halls of the Hyuuga compound after receiving a summons from Hiashi. It was a peaceful morning; the cool air of autumn was slow to warm leaving just a hint of chill in the sunny air. There was a faint smell of frost that had blanketed the ground earlier in the morning mixed with the scent of the fall flowers that were in bloom in the Hyuuga's gardens. Yes, these were the kinds of mornings that Neji loved to wake up early and meditate for a few hours. Unfortunately, those mornings now seemed like a thing of the past.<p>

Now there was a tension that filled the air at the Hyuuga compound. A sort of stifling thickness had fallen over all of them keeping many on high alert and causing nerves to shorten. Although almost nobody knew what was truly going on, many were starting suspect that something of great significance was about to go down. Even Hanabi was beginning to notice and had asked on quite a few occasions what was wrong with everybody. Neji always changed the subject but he knew that he wouldn't be able to for much longer. His only hope at this point was that he and Hiashi would be able to solve the matter peacefully and quietly without anyone the wiser.

Finding himself in front of the Hiashi's office, Neji gave a brief knock and waited for the command. When he received it he slid the door open and stepped.

"You summoned me Uncle?" Neji asked as he closed the door behind him.

Hiashi looked up at him and Neji could see the toll that the past week had taken on him. The man looked as if he had gotten little to no sleep at all. Late nights combine with early mornings along with the stress of a possible coup d'état inside the clan was wearing on the Hyuuga leader. Nodding briefly, Hiashi motioned for Neji to sit. Once Neji did he began to speak.

"Neji, I trust that you remember that our meeting with the Hokage is today?"

Neji nodded and waited for his uncle to continue.

"Before we meet I want you to find Hinata and fill her in on what is happening. As the clan's heir I want her to attend this meeting and therefore she must be briefed beforehand."

"Understood, Uncle." Neji said with a nod.

"I do not know if Renge-sensei has told Hinata about what has been happening but that is irrelevant. Find her and fill her in if she needs to be." Hiashi ordered.

Neji nodded once more and stood. "Do you know where I might find her?"

"She is checking out of the hospital today. If you hurry you might be able to catch her before she leaves." Hiashi offered.

"I'll start there then." Neji said as he gave a short bow and headed towards the door, but just as he reached for the door he was stopped by Hiashi's voice.

"This does not mean that I have not been made aware of you being pulled from interrogation duty of the prisoner we received a week ago."

Neji tensed as he awaited his doom. He had not told a soul about what had happened.

"However now is not the time to discuss such things. Be sure you focus Neji, we will talk about what has happened when we get back from the meeting with Tsunade-sama." Hiashi finished looking down at a paper on his desk.

Neji released a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Understood, Haishi-sama." He said quickly as he opened the door and left in a hurry.

Walking at a brisk pace, Neji left the compound and headed towards the hospital. While his entire outside was a calm demeanor his insides were a storm of emotions. His mind absentmindedly slipped back to the memory of his conversation with Ibiki.

**(Flashback)**

Neji found himself in Ibiki's office and standing in front of the towering man as he sat at his desk. A quick glance around the room showed just how much of a Spartan life style the scarred man lived. The bare essentials were all that graced the man's office except for a fancy glass bottle of sake and a bright pink shrub in the corner of the room. That utterly confused Neji to no end.

Ibiki poured himself a cup of sake and inhaled deeply with closed eyes before downing the cup. After a satisfied sigh he set the cup down and leaned back taking in Neji.

"Let me guess." Ibiki said after a moment. "Why the shrub?"

Neji let a ghost of a smirk grace his lips but he did nod. "Well it is probably the biggest mystery about you at the moment."

Ibiki snorted. "It just so happens that the shrub has extracts in the leaves that produce a very potent truth serum."

"Then why do you keep the flowers? They are obviously unnecessary." Neji asked raising an eyebrow.

Ibiki shrugged. "A man has to have some sort of an outlet, I just so happen to enjoy horticulture."

The image of Ibiki in a sunhat, gloves, and garden shears in hand sprang to the front of Neji's mind but he quickly suppressed the thoughts.

"Is there any particular reason that you called me here?" Neji asked.

Ibiki took his time pouring himself another drink before sitting back and studying Neji. For a moment, silence was the only thing that was shared between the two. Finally, after a minute or two of staring Ibiki broke the silence.

"Tell me Neji, do you love your village?"

Neji was slightly taken aback at the question but he answered the question quickly. "Of course I do, I would do anything for it."

Ibiki stared at him for a moment.

"Anything?" he asked. "Even if you knew that what your village asked of you was wrong? Maybe do something that was morally or ethically questionable?"

Once again Neji was surprised at what he heard.

"Then it would depend on the circumstances." Neji answered stoically.

"What circumstances?" Ibiki fired back.

"If the village were to ask me to do something, say kill someone that I saw as innocent, then I would have to question on what grounds does it constitute that an innocent man has to die." Neji said.

"Go on." Ibiki simply said.

"If the man posed a threat to the village, even if he was innocent, then I would have no qualms killing the man." Neji explained. "I am a ninja, the line of ethics and morals will be blurred at one point or another and I will be required to enter a grey area so to speak. I understood that when I became a ninja. While it may take some time to recover from having to take an innocent's life, I understand in the end that I did it to protect my home, the village, and all the people within it's' walls."

"And if the man was innocent and posed no threat?" Ibiki asked.

"Then I would not take the mission." Neji said simply. "I would have to question the decision of the person that tasked me with fulfilling the mission. Are they corrupt? Are they seeking revenge? What ambitions are they trying to exploit through me? I may be a ninja and I may have to take another's life, but I will not have the blood of the innocent on my hands without a logical reason."

Ibiki nodded at what Neji said. He was quiet for another moment before he asked another question.

"Would you ever betray your village, Neji-san?"

Neji was in shock at what he had just heard and it quickly turned into outrage that he would be asked such a question. However, before Neji could voice his disapproval of the question he realized something.

"_This isn't just a conversation." _Neji thought carefully as it slowly dawned on him. _"This is a psych evaluation. He's testing me…"_

"I would never betray my village." Neji stated firmly.

"What if the village betrayed you?" Ibiki fired back.

Neji took a moment to chew over the question. As he did, Ibiki eyed him closely taking in every detail.

"Then it really wouldn't be betrayal on my part now would it." Neji said looking at Ibiki after a moment.

Ibiki went to say something but Neji cut him off with his hand.

"Do not misunderstand what I say, Ibiki-san. If I were to be betrayed by my village I am smart enough to know that it is not the village that betrayed me but the people in power that did. The villagers are innocent and often ignorant to the matters pertaining to ninja."

"So you would seek revenge then?" Ibiki questioned.

"No." Neji said bluntly. "They say when you dig a grave for revenge; you best dig a second for yourself. I would not seek revenge for being wronged. Rather, I would seek retribution."

Ibiki seemed to analyze what Neji had said. Once again a silence fell between the two as Ibiki sat there scrutinizing Neji. Neji simply stood there impassively and stared back at the scarred mountain, silently daring him to question his loyalty again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity Ibiki nodded with a sigh.

"Please forgive my questions Neji-san, but one can never be too cautious."

"It is understandable, Ibiki-san." Neji said, then as an afterthought added. "What was that all about anyways?"

Ibiki gave him a look that said 'don't-play-stupid.' "It has come to my attention that you have been spending an unusually large amount of time with our new prisoner."

"_Well I knew they wouldn't stay blind forever." _Neji sighed inwardly before speaking.

"I was simply trying to gain her trust so I could get as much information from her that was the most accurate as possible."

"The video tapes from the prisoner's cell say otherwise." Ibiki countered.

Sitting up Ibiki gave Neji a hard look. "Don't play dumb with me. You may be a Hyuuga but there is a reason that I am the head of the Interrogation Department."

Knowing the gig was finally up and he had been caught Neji gave a heavy sigh.

"It is true that I have begun to feel a sort of attachment to her." Neji admitted.

"You are aware of the proper protocol involving this type of scenario then?" Ibiki asked.

Neji nodded. "Person in question is given a psych evaluation and if deemed fit for duty then they are relieved of duty and put on temporary probation."

Ibiki nodded at that. "Correct. Now I have found you in perfectly mental health and since you do not work here in the I.D. you will not be put on probation."

At this Neji rose an eyebrow.

"In other words, since you do not work here your services are no longer needed. You may return to your team and begin regular missions again." Ibiki explained.

Neji was silent for a moment before he nodded and turned to leave. When he reached the door he stopped and looked back at Ibiki who was now staring at another glass of sake.

"If I might add one more thing before I leave, Ibiki-san?" Neji asked.

Ibiki gave a curt nod.

"It is in my opinion that Karin is just an unfortunate girl that was at the wrong place, at the wrong time, and did what was necessary to survive. She is just as dangerous as a newborn child. Given the opportunity I believe that she would be more than willing and happy to settle down and serve this village."

There was a silence between the two one last time before Ibiki looked up from his glass.

"I'll take it into consideration." He said. "Goodbye, Neji-san."

"Goodbye, Ibiki-san."

**(End Flashback)**

Neji should have known better than to try and hide something from the Interrogation Department, even if he was a Hyuuga. Ibiki was a smart man and like he said, there was a reason he was the head of the I.D.

"_I do hope that Karin-chan will be okay though."_ Neji thought to himself.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Neji focused on the task at hand and continued his search for his cousin.

* * *

><p>Hinata and Renge had just checked out of the hospital and were making their way through the streets to the Hyuuga compound when they came across Neji. While Hinata was happy to see her cousin she could instantly tell that he was there for business and not to check up on her.<p>

"Neji-niisan," Hinata greeted with a small smile and nod. "It's nice to see you again."

"Hinata-sama, Renge-sama." Neji said with a respectful bow.

Turning slightly towards Hinata, Neji spoke. "Hiashi-sama has requested that you attend a meeting with him and the Hokage. The meeting is in thirty minutes so I will escort you there and fill you in on what is happening."

Hinata couldn't help but feel a wave of slight apprehension was over her as she glanced over at Renge.

"If you'll excuse me sensei?" Hinata asked.

Renge chuckled and gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it dear, it's understandable. I'll get a hold of you after the meeting."

Hinata returned the smile with a small one and then looked at Neji. "What is this about nii-san?"

Neji glanced around before giving her a serious look. When they were younger it would have caused Hinata to probably shake with fear but now she could tell it wasn't directed at her but at the topic of discussion.

"It's about matters that involve the clan." Neji answered.

Hinata's entire posture did a complete 180 in the span of one second. Her face suddenly hardened and her eyes narrowed. Looking over at Renge she addressed the aged Uzumaki.

"Renge-sensei, I would appreciate it if you would accompany us to the meeting as well. Also, if possible could you please get the same message to Naruto-kun and Jihibiki-sensei?"

Renge smirked. "Of course dear, it will only take a moment."

Taking her finger, Renge placed it on her necklace and channeled some chakra through it.

"They'll be here in a few moments." she chirped happily.

"Hinata-sama," Neji said gaining Hinata's attention, "Hiashi-sama requested that I get only you for the meeting with the Hokage."

"I understand that nii-san." Hinata said evenly leveling him with a stare. "But as heiress to the clan I have deemed it necessary for Jihibiki-sensei, Renge-sensei, and Naruto-kun to be at this meeting as well. I don't care what my father said; I am not so short sighted as to turn away from help when it is there and being offered."

Neji tried, oh he tried so hard, but in the end the only thing he could do was let his jaw drop as he stared at Hinata.

"_Is this the same Hinata?"_ Neji thought amazed._ "She's only been with Renge-sama for a week and there's this much of a difference in her personality!"_

"You're mouth, nii-san." Hinata said.

Neji realized it was still open and quickly shut it getting a snicker out of Renge and a sweet quiet giggle out of Hinata.

"You have changed, Hinata-sama." Neji said looking at his cousin curiously.

Hinata nodded before glancing over at Renge. "I know, and I have Renge-sensei to thank for it."

Renge gave Hinata a smile and Neji was about to speak when there was a bright flash and the sound of familiar voices. Turning around, they saw the backs of Naruto and Jihibiki a few feet away from them as the two of them stared down the street.

"Well now that we're all here we can go." Renge said with a smile catching the attention of the new arrivals.

"Hey Renge-baachan, Neji!" Naruto waved happily at the group.

His smile stayed there until it fell on the last member of the group and it instantly left.

"Um…hey, Hinata." Naruto said awkwardly as he looked off to the side and rubbed the back of his head.

"H-Hello, N-Naruto-kun." Hinata said meekly as she held her hands to her chest.

"_Amazing," _Neji thought to himself. _"One minute she is so sure and confident in herself and the next minute she's back to a mess when Naruto is around. Which reminds me…"_

Neji looked over at Naruto to see the blonde looking anywhere but where Hinata was standing.

"_I've never seen him act like this before."_ Neji thought while studying Naruto.

Renge was thinking the same thing and shot her husband a glance. Jihibiki simply gave a smirk and a slight nod of his head giving Renge all the answer she needed. A huge grin broke across her face as she happily clapped her hands together gaining everyone's attention.

"Well everyone, let's get this meeting over with."

"Um, what's going on exactly?" Naruto asked as they all began to move together.

"We're about to have a meeting with Hokage-sama and Hiashi-sama." Neji answered.

"I see." Naruto said intelligently causing Jihibiki to face palm.

"Things must be getting pretty serious then if Hiashi-kun has finally gone to Tsunade-chan for help." Renge said.

"They are, but we will discuss that behind closed doors." Neji said after a short look around them.

Everyone else nodded and continued on towards the Hokage tower in silence. However, no noticed a shadow slink away from a nearby building and down an alley.

* * *

><p>Hyuuga Gourzi was a patient man; he had been all of his life. He had been patient when he was passed over the first and the second time to become a councilman. He had been patient when Keimei had chosen Hiashi instead of him as her husband. He had been patient when he saw how weak the heiress to the clan was. He had been patient when his plans to rid the Hyuuga clan of its heiress failed. He had been patiently waiting for the dark contact from outside the village, Zetsu, to bring his plan to fruition, but now…Now all of his dirty little secrets were about to be brought to light. Now all his hard work was about to become undone and for the first time in his entire life, Gourzi had lost his patience.<p>

Balling his hands into fists, Gourzi stood up from his seat shaking in rage. The shadows played across his face in the dimly lit room that was the secret meeting place of the elders. Looking around he felt his rage grow more and more. Even though he came from the prestigious Hyuuga clan he had spent almost his entire life in the shadows. The shadow of Hiashi, the shadow of the elders, and the shadow of the woman he loved. When he really thought about it, all that Gourzi knew was the shadows. He had been waiting to exact his revenge on the Main Branch for years; hiding, waiting, and planning for the perfect time to cripple them and take control. But now his plan was falling apart, all of his hard work was crumbling right before his eyes.

Eyes still wandering around the room, they finally came to rest on the spy that had just relayed him the message. Gourzi knew he had to come up with some way to stop the meeting. He had to do something, _anything_ to keep Hiashi and the others from voicing their suspicions.

Taking a shaky breath to try and calm himself he spoke.

"I don't care how, I don't care what it takes, just stop that meeting before it happens. The Hokage cannot be allowed to find out what's about to happen. If she does, then all of our work will be for not. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Gourzi-sama." The spy said with from their bow. "What would you have me do?"

After another moment of thinking and pacing he spoke.

"We need to send a message to Hiashi: keep quiet if you know what's good for you. Tie his hands so he can't do anything."

Gourzi paused in his pacing and turned to his spy. "Kill Hyuuga Hanabi. That should get the message across bright and clear. Afterwards report back to me. There is a loose tongue amongst us. We have to find them and stop the leaking of anymore information."

"If it is what you wish then I shall carry it out." The spy said from his bow.

"Then get going!" Gourzi barked.

The spy stood up quickly and left leaving Gourzi alone in the room.

"_Not this time Hiashi."_ Gourzi seethed in rage. _"This time _I'll _be the one to come out on top!"_

Taking a moment to collect him, Gourzi then exited after the spy. In the corner of the room hidden by shadows a dark figure morphed out of the shadows and seemed to survey the room.

"**This idiot is going to ruin everything. Looks like I'm going to have to break my cover if this operation is to be salvageable.**" Zetsu said irritated as he sunk back into the wall.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was alone in his room sitting upright and in the lotus position on his bed. It had been a week and he had come to the conclusion that Sakura was truly a miracle worker. He could feel his brother's eyes adjusting and slowly but surely syncing to him and his body. That wasn't the only difference he felt either. His chakra reserves felt as if they had expanded. Not only that, but his chakra potency felt stronger as well. However, what had Sasuke the most excited was that today was the day that the bandages finally came off and he would finally see the world for the first time with his new eyes: his brother's eyes. All that was left now was for Sakura to arrive and give the final okay that the wraps were ready to come off.<p>

He heard the door open and Sasuke's attention immediately focused to the person entering the room.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun." Sakura's gentle voice called out as she moved towards him. "How are you feeling today?"

"I feel fine Sakura. Can I just take the damn bandages off now?" Sasuke said trying his best to hide the excitement and hopefulness in is voice.

The mood in the entire room suddenly shifted. Even though Sasuke couldn't see, he could practically feel Sakura fold her arms and stare at him.

"Now Sasuke-kun we talked about this." Sakura said in a sweet manner that for some reason seemed to promise imminent pain. "Sakura what?"

"…"

"Sakura what?" she asked again.

"…Sakura…chan…" Sasuke said somewhat robotically.

"And what do we say after requesting something, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said as she approached Sasuke.

Once again, Sasuke got the feeling that Sakura now had her hands on her hips.

"…"

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura said with a sickeningly sweet tone.

"…No…" Sasuke said.

It was now a battle of wills between the two. Ever since Sasuke fell into Sakura's care she insisted on him using –chan with her name. If that wasn't bad enough, she also refused him help if he did say please and thank you; something he had never had to do in his life! It had taken her five days to break him and use Sakura-chan. Though the name still sounded robotic and ground out when he said it she still accepted it as a win. The polite mannerisms on the other hand, well they were still a work in progress.

"I won't ask again Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as she cracked her knuckles.

Normally this would not affect the Uchiha. He would simply scoff at the threat and then return one of his own or just inflict pain. However, Sasuke learned very quickly that he wasn't the only that had changed in the past three years. The first time he had scoffed at her threat she blasted him in the ribs breaking two in the process. In his defense though, he was blind and still weak from the operation. Regardless, Sasuke quickly found out that Sakura had changed and while the girl still swore she loved him, she was no longer the push over, do anything he said kind of girl. The worst part of it all: he secretly found it refreshing.

"May I please take off the bandages now, Sakura?" Sasuke sighed in defeat.

"Sakura what?"

"Sakura-chan." Sasuke said through clenched teeth. Honestly, he could have sworn the girl did that just to piss him off.

Sakura smiled to herself happily as she did a victory dance on the inside. Setting it aside for the moment though, she bent down and placed her hand to his temple as she began to run diagnostics on him.

"How do they feel? Any pains or pressures?" she asked intently as she took a seat in front of him.

"Like I said before, they feel fine." Sasuke said as he sat still for the pink haired medic. "There's a constant throbbing of chakra around my eyes but it isn't painful. It's like they're excited and want to be released."

Sakura seemed to think for a moment but then shrugged and accepted what he said.

Sitting back in her seat she said, "Okay then, go ahead and take them off. But do it slowly, you need to be careful and give your eyes time to adju- Hey!"

As soon as Sakura gave the okay Sasuke had ripped the bandages off and opened his eyes. Even though he was in a dimly lit room, the light that flooded his eyes was still too much causing him to snap them shut from the sudden pain. What followed quickly after that was what felt like a mountain crashing into his nose that snapped his head back and bounced it off the wall behind him.

"Ugh, what the hell was that for Sakura?" Sasuke said angrily holding his now broken nose.

"What the hell did I just say?!" Sakura shouted as she grabbed Sasuke by the front of his robe and hoisted him up to her face. "I said slowly! _Slowly_! Listen to what your doctor tells you!"

With an irritated sigh Sakura dropped Sasuke back on the bed and took a seat in front of him.

"Cover your left eye and open your right one a quarter of the way. Let your eye adjust to the light and when it has, then open it half way." Sakura instructed.

Sasuke hesitated for a moment but then complied. The next hour was spent with Sasuke getting his eyes adjusted to the light of the dark room, something that was tedious and somewhat frustrating to him. After he was finally done Sakura gathered up the bandages and rewrapped his eyes.

"Why can't I leave them unwrapped?" Sasuke asked disappointed that he had to cover his eyes again.

"Two reasons." Sakura said simply. "One is because your eyes are still healing. If I wasn't here to apply constant medical jutsu then it would take a month for your eyes to recover normally. Also, your eyes aren't ready for brighter light, you could barely stand the light in this room and there isn't even that much here. You need more time to heal which means more rest. As it stands you should be able to use them by the end of the next week."

"And the second reason?" Sasuke asked realizing that she had only given one.

Sakura smirked. "The second reason is because you're an idiot and I can't trust you to not try and activate your Sharingan. If you were to do so now, there is an extremely high possibility that the chakra pathways around your eyes could rupture and then you would go blind."

Finishing up wrapping his head, Sakura put a hand on Sasuke's chest and pushed him down onto the bed.

"Rest now," she ordered, "that's what your body needs and I know that you're exhausted from that exercise."

Sasuke simply grunted but complied with what she told him to do. Once he was situated he heard her get up and begin to leave the room.

"Sakura-chan, aren't you going to fix my nose?" Sasuke asked confused.

He heard her footsteps stop at the door for a moment.

"No." she said with that same sweet tone. "Let it remind you what will happen next time you want to try and go against my medical advice."

Opening the door she stepped out saying one last thing. "I'll stop in later to check on you Sasuke-kun."

With that the door closed and Sasuke found him alone once again. Something he was glad of because of the small smile that had broken out across his face.

"_Damn woman."_ He thought to himself. _"Since when did you grow up to be so bossy?"_

* * *

><p>Madara was sitting at his desk looking over a map for the upcoming war. However, he wasn't truly looking at the landscape rolled out before him. No, his thoughts were on that snake of a man Kabuto and what he was truly planning. He had just gotten done with his encounter with him and he was unnerved slightly by what he saw. While it always helped to bolster his army of zetsu clones with reanimated corpses, where he found the DNA for <em>him<em> he had no clue whatsoever. His plan had been going along perfectly without a hitch but now…now he was starting to collect too many factors, too many unknowns to account for and he didn't like it one bit. There was only enough room in the shadows for one person and he'd be damned if it wasn't him.

Zetsu's presence appearing behind him brought him out of his thought.

"What do you have?" he asked.

"_It would appear that Sakura has no intention of spying at all. From what I've seen she is simply here for Sasuke and Sasuke alone."_ Zetsu said.

Madara's eye narrowed at hearing this. "Keep an eye on her regardless. I refuse to believe that she's just here because of that brat."

"_Oh? You think she has a hidden end game?"_ Zetsu taunted lightly. _"And all this time I thought it was just for love."_

"Just keep an eye on her!" Madara barked back annoyed. "I'm already debating on whether or not to simply kill her."

"_Oh I wouldn't recommend that."_ Zetsu said chidingly.

"Why so?" Madara asked turning around to look at Zetsu.

"_It's rather obvious that Sasuke has begun to develop an attachment to her. There's a strong possibility if you kill her we'll lose him."_ Zetsu answered.

"I will not wait on that spoiled brat hand and foot!" Madara said, his voice rising along with his frustration. "Keep an eye on the girl. I want to know everything she does."

Zetsu's smile never left him as he began to sink back into the floor. _"Things are really startin' to get interesting around here."_

* * *

><p>Hiashi was sitting patiently in the reception area waiting for his daughter and Neji to arrive so they could have their meeting with the Hokage. What he hadn't expected was the two to be joined by Naruto, Renge, and Jihibiki. The surprised flicked across his face for a brief moment before he stood up and approached the entourage.<p>

"Renge-sensei, Jihibiki-san, Naruto-san." Hiashi said with a short bow. "As much as I appreciate the concern I requested that Neji only bring Hinata and nobody else."

"I did as instructed Hiashi-sama." Neji said catching the clan head's attention. "However, I was overruled."

Hiashi quirked his eyebrow for a moment and then shifted his gaze over to Hinata who blushed slightly.

"It's true father." Hinata said quietly but boldly. "Naruto-kun and the others are willing to help and it would be foolish to refuse it. That's what we're here to ask Tsunade-sama for anyways right? We know that we can trust Naruto-kun and the others so there is no reason to refuse their offer."

"That is true." Hiashi said with a nod.

He was proud that Hinata had finally stood up against one of his orders. He had been waiting so long for her to finally find her confidence and assert herself.

"However," he continued shifting his gaze over to the three non-Hyuugas, "while it is appreciated and it is true that I am going to ask Hokage-sama for help I was hoping to employee the expertise of the ANBU. Forgive me, but the Uzumaki's aren't exactly known for their subtlety. You people have a tendency to make a scene."

Renge huffed and folded her arms while looking away. "It's not exactly like it's the _women's_ fault that the clan is like that."

Naruto had the decency to smile sheepishly and rub the back of his head while Jihibiki looked away and began whistling a tune.

"Regardless father, their input could be valuable." Hinata spoke up once again and getting a nod from Neji as well.

Hiashi couldn't help it as a small smile graced his lips. "Very well then, let's get this over with."

Getting a nod from Shizune that they were cleared to enter, Hiashi opened the door and led the group into Tsunade's office. As they entered they were greeted with the sound of a crash and a frustrated yell.

"God damn you spawn of Satan! Go back to the black pitted hell from whence you came!"

"Oi, baa-chan! Everything okay in here?" Naruto yelled boisterously walking through the door.

Hiashi looked like a mix between dumbfounded and horrified, Hinata did her best to suppress a giggle, Neji rolled his eyes, and Renge and Jihibiki both snickered loudly.

"You!" Tsunade said looking up from the mountains of paperwork that surrounded her with a crazed look in her eyes. "You're Hokage now, I resign effective immediately!"

Naruto, not missing a beat, let out a whoop while fist pumping.

"Tsunade-sama." Hiashi said paling slightly at the idea of Naruto taking control of the village. "Might you possible handle one last task before giving the reins over to Naruto-san?"

Tsunade glared at Hiashi before motioning around her desk. "Is it going to cause any more of this?"

"No," Hiashi said shaking his head. "If handled correctly then should be barely any paperwork if any."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she took in the group before her. "This is the most random group of shinobi I have ever seen together. What's this about Hiashi?"

"Please understand that I tried to manage this as best I could Hokage-sama." Hiashi said with a tinge of humiliation in his voice. It actually caused everyone to become slightly uncomfortable.

"But this involves my clan and quite possibly the safety of the entire village."

Tsunade could feel her stomach sinking as Hiashi spoke and the looks from the others didn't help at all either. Tsunade sat up in her seat and steepled her hands together in front of her face before speaking.

"What's going on, Hiashi?"

Hiashi was about to answer when they all heard frantic shouting coming from the other side of the door. Everyone turned around in time to see a Hyuuga Branch Member burst through the door with a frantic look on his face.

"Hiashi-sama!" The Branch Member shouted gasping for breath.

"What is it?" Hiashi said trying his best to ignore the rising ball of fear in his stomach.

"It's Hanabi-sama!" the Branch Member said breathlessly. "She's been attacked!"

There was a loud gasp before one of the figures shot out of the room. The only indication of who gasped was the flowing, long, midnight blue hair that flashed in the doorway before it was gone.

**Omake**

Renge gave Hinata a smile and Neji was about to speak when there was a bright flash and the sound of familiar voices. Turning around, they saw the backs of Naruto and Jihibiki a few feet away from them as the two stared down the street.

"They must have just left the hospital." Jihibiki said glancing over his shoulder and looking up at the building behind them, completely missing the group they were looking for.

"Seriously jiji, you need to frickin' narrow that jutsu down." Naruto complained. "This whole needle-in-the-haystack bullshit is getting old."

"Well I'd like to see you do it." Jihibiki huffed as he crossed his arms and looked away.

Naruto growled at the jibe but ignored it. "Come on, let's go find them. If they just left the hospital then I hope Hinata-chan is okay."

At hearing this Hinata's eyes widened and cheeks instantly flushed bright red.

"Oh I'm sure it won't be too hard to find them." Jihibiki said off handedly as they started to walk.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

A shit eating grin spread across Jihibiki's face as he held up his hands. "Come on Naruto, how hard is it to pick out the figure that Hinata-_chan _has?" As he said this his hands started making an hourglass shape. "Nice long hair that ends right above that sweet sweet hinny, curves that just won't seem to quit and not to mention that chest that's just beg-"

The rest was cut off as Jihibiki found himself smashed into the ground by a metal staff.

"Ya know," Naruto said absentmindedly as he twirled the staff lazily in his fingers, "I can see why Renge-baachan uses this. It's so effective."

Pointing the staff at Jihibiki Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Don't ever talk about Hinata-chan like that again or else I'll tell Renge-baachan."

Jihibiki sat up and crossed his arms looking away again.

"I'm not touching, I'm just looking!" Jihibiki pouted. "It's the same thing as window shopping!"

Suddenly a sense of dread and foreboding washed over Jihibiki followed by a sudden shiver that ran up his spine when he heard a voice answer him.

"Is that so Jihibiki?"

Jumping up and turning around slowly the two men found Hinata, Neji and Renge all staring at them. One with a beat red face, one looking extremely pissed, and the last one wearing a sickly sweet smile on her face.

"Oh…good luck with that one." Naruto said giving Jihibiki a reassuring pat on the shoulder before quickly leaving his side.

"N-N-Now R-Renge dear, y-y-you know I w-was just j-j-joking." Jihibiki stumbled out as he raised his hands defensively.

"Is that what you were doing?" Renge asked as she started walking towards him still wearing that unnerving smile. "Well if that was the case, then it's okay I guess."

Quickly looking around for an exit and finding none, Jihibiki's eyes began to water as he say the last chapter in his life quickly coming to an end.

"What's the matter dearest?" Renge asked as her wooden staff appeared in her hands. "Is something troubling my oh-so-loyal husband?"

"R-R-Renge, pl-please s-s-st-stop!" Jihibiki begged.

"Not a chance." Renge said lowly as the smile dropped from her face causing Jihibiki to freeze in fear.

With an angry yell Renge descended upon the pervy Jihibiki and all through the village the sounds of girly screams could be heard.

It was on that day that multiple reports flooded the Hokage tower of an apparently small injured animal somewhere in the vicinity of the hospital that was making quite a racket. Multiple genin teams were scrambled to find the poor thing and put it out of its misery. It wasn't until several hours later that the Konohamaru Corps stumbled upon a beaten, bruised, and bleeding Jihibiki lying under some bushes next to the hospital whimpering to himself and holding his Uzumaki family heirlooms between his legs.


	23. Pawn of the Shadows

**Chapter 22: Pawn of the Shadows**

**A/N: Hey guys, I know nearly two months since my last update. I'm an ass, sorry. I ended getting my factory job back so barely anytime to write. I'm doing my best though, I swear! **

**Last time: **Naruto finally admits to Jihibiki that he loves Hinata. When asked we he continues to fight hos feelings he tells Jihibiki that iys because of his haunting visions and dreams. Jihibiki tells Naruto that its okay to have some fear because its serves as motivation to not fail. with his determination restored the two push on with training. In the mean time Neji is summoned by Hiashi who informs him that they are going to see the Hokage. He tells Neji to go retrieve Hinata from the hospital. Before he can leave though Hiashi tells Neji that he still is aware of Neji's removal from interogation duty. Neji has a brief flashback to a conversation he had with Ibiki. Neji continues on to find Hinata and tells her that they have beeen summoned to see the Hokage. Hinata then goes over her father's head and summons Naruto, Renge, and Jihibiki. Once they all arrive they conyinue on to the Hokage tower. When they arrive Hiashi tells the three Uzumaki to stay but once again Hinata laminates how they should take help when they can get it. Hiashi concedes and they all head to the meeting. However, before the meeting could begin a Branch Member interrupts the meeting to inform them that Hanabi has been attacked and is at the hospital.

Hinata sprinted through the hallways of the Hokage tower as fast as she could. She thought she heard shouts for her to wait and stop but she couldn't be too sure. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her frantic breathing drowned out all noise. Her all-seeing-eyes were tunneled, focused straight in front of her and yet she still couldn't quite see. Everything seemed to blur for her and time seemed to slow down. No matter how hard she pushed herself to move forward it seemed as if she was walking.

Hinata's mind was racing in panic. Tears were forming in her eyes, but she didn't care. All she knew was that she had to find her baby sister, and she had to find her _now_!

"_Please!"_ Hinata begged as she sprinted down the stairs to the first floor. _"Please for the love of God let Hanabi okay!"_

Hinata wasn't sure what she would do with herself if anything happened to Hanabi. Her baby sister was practically her life when she wasn't on missions or training. They had stuck it out together through thick and thin. They had laughed, cried, and shared secrets with each other. Hinata was the mother Hanabi never had, and Hanabi was the only constant in Hinata's life within the confines of the Hyuuga estate.

Bursting through the doors and exiting out the back of the tower Hinata made a straight beeline for the hospital, thankful that the village had decided to place it directly behind the Hokage tower.

"_Where are you Hanabi-chan?!"_ Hinata thought frantically as she closed the distance to the hospital rapidly but not quick enough for her liking.

Crashing through the doors of the hospital, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the Hyuuga heiress in shock. Hinata's eyes darted frantically around the lobby looking for some sign of her sister's presence. Desperation hit its limit for Hinata and she was about to activate her Byakugan when she heard a voice calling her name.

"Hinata-sama!"

Hinata turned to the voice and saw a familiar Branch Member waving her over to one of the hallways. Not missing a beat Hinata ran towards the person.

"Shinrai-san!..." Hinata called out desperately.

"Follow me, Hinata-sama! I know the way!" Shinrai said quickly as they ran through the hallways.

In less than a minute Hinata found herself outside of a room that was being guarded by other Branch Members. Pushing her way through the door, the first thing to meet her eyes was a large basin filled with bloody rags and bandages. Hinata's eyes grew and her heart nearly stopped.

"HANABI!?" Hinata shouted nearly crazed.

"Nee-chan?!" Hanabi's voice answered right back.

Hinata's head snapped to the side and she saw a brown blur moving towards her. Not even waiting for her, Hinata met Hanabi halfway. Bending down Hinata scooped Hanabi up in her arms with a bone crushing hug.

"Hanabi-chan, are you okay? Are you hurt? Is everything alright?" Hinata asked frantically as she tried to hug her baby sister and check her at the same time.

"I-I'm f-fine nee-chan." Hanabi sputtered out through her tears as she clung to her older sister.

Hinata never added a suffix to her name unless she was in extreme distress, and it only served to cause Hanabi to become more emotionally unstable.

"I j-just got a c-cut on my s-side." Hanabi stuttered out as the tears fell down her face.

Hinata felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her as the dams burst in her own eyes.

"Oh Hanabi-chan, I'm so glad you're alright!" Hinata whispered in her ear trying to calm her down as best she could.

Hinata gave her sister a squeeze and Hanabi returned it quickly. Looking around Hinata saw a bench in the room and scooped up Hanabi and moved towards it. Hinata wasn't sure why but for some reason it seemed like Hanabi was unusually small as the young girl practically curled up in a ball and buried her face in her chest. After taking a moment to dry her tears Hinata then hugged Hanabi protectively and spoke.

"Hanabi-chan, what happened?"

"I-I was playing with Konohamaru-kun and the others at the park they just finished building." Hanabi sniffed out still clutching on to Hinata for dear life. "We were playing defend the castle on top of the slide and I was defending. A-Anyways we decided that we wouldn't use any jutsu so I never saw the person come up behind me."

Hanabi started shaking so Hinata quickly gave her a reassuring hug.

"It's okay Hanabi-chan it's over now." Hinata cooed softly. It seemed to work as Hanabi seemed to stop shaking for the moment.

"How did you get away?" Hinata asked.

"Ko…" Hanabi said trailing off and looking over at the hospital bed.

Hinata hadn't realized that Ko was even there. She had been so worried about finding Hanabi that she was completely oblivious to the rest of the world. Looking over at the bed she saw that the bodyguard who had looked after the two girls for so long was unconscious and wrapped in several bandages.

"He pushed me out of the way and got stabbed." Hanabi said sadly.

"He'll be fine Hanabi, don't worry." Hinata said reassuringly noting the worry in her sister's voice.

Hanabi nodded but didn't reply. However, Hinata quickly became curious of something.

"Hanabi-chan," Hinata asked getting her sister's attention, "how did you get away from the attacker?"

At that question Hanabi ducked her head even more and mumbled out an incomprehensible response.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Hinata asked ducking her own head down to hear better.

"K-Konohamaru-kun saved me…" Hanabi mumbled out again.

Hinata raised an eyebrow at this and met Hanabi's eyes. The reaction was almost instantaneous as Hanabi quickly averted her eyes and blushed.

"I-It's not like I a-asked him f-for help or anything." Hanabi stuttered out.

This time the stutter was for a completely different reason, and Hinata couldn't help but smile.

"What did Konohamaru-kun do to save you?" Hinata asked.

"H-He jumped in front of me a-and said he would defend me w-with his life." Hanabi stammered as she began to fidget with Hinata's jacket. "He made a Rasengan and the attacker seemed to stop and hesitate before disappearing."

Hinata was surprised to hear that. "I didn't know Konohamaru-kun knew how to use the Rasengan. I thought Naruto-kun was the only one?"

Hanabi shook her head. "Naruto-kun taught Konohamaru-kun the Rasengan. He kind of took him on as his unspoken apprentice."

Hinata felt a sense of pride swell up inside of her over the man she loved. He was become something so great. He had saved her life multiple times, begun to teach the new generation, which ended up possibly saving Hanabi's life, and was now recognized as the village hero. Only a few things on his ever growing list of accomplishments.

"I guess we should both be thankful that we have those boys in our lives. If not neither of us might not be here right now." Hinata whispered into Hanabi's ear with a smile.

A small smile graced Hanabi's lips as well as a light blush and she nodded in agreement. Both of them were quiet while they held each other and waited for the others to catch up. After a minute of silence Hanabi broke it.

"Nee-chan…" Hanabi trailed off as she looked up at her older sister with new tears in her eyes.

"Yes Hanabi-chan?" Hinata asked meeting her eyes and feeling tears of her own welling up.

"I…I love you nee-chan." Hanabi said breaking the gaze and burying her face into Hinata's chest.

"I love you too Hanabi-chan." Hinata said gently with tears rolling down her cheeks. Giving her another tight squeeze she finished, "I love you so much."

* * *

><p>After Hinata had rushed from the room the meeting quickly fell to pieces. Hiashi didn't even have to say anything when turned and looked at Tsunade.<p>

"Go." She ordered in which she received a short but grateful nod from Hiashi before making a swift exit followed quickly by Neji.

"Get out here!" she quickly barked.

In an instant three ANBU appeared before her at perfect attention.

"I want the ANBU scrambled in less than five minutes and investigating what the hell happened. I want to know how someone got within our walls without us knowing it and managed to attack the daughter to one of the most prestigious clans in the world! Find out who this was and how they did it!" Tsunade said with so much authority that it actually awed Naruto.

With a brief nod all three shinobi disappeared leaving only the Uzumakis in the office. Closing her eyes Tsunade slouched back in her chair and rubbed her forehead with an exhaustive sigh.

"Can someone please explain to me what the hell is happening?" Tsunade asked. "I can't help but get the feeling that this is all tied together somehow."

As she said this her eyes fell on Naruto expectantly.

"Whoa, hey now." Naruto said raising his hands. "For once I'm not involved in this."

"We'll see about that." Tsunade muttered.

Directing her attention to the elders she asked. "Mind filling me in? You two old bats always seem to know what's going on."

Renge sighed and Jihibiki chuckled sheepishly.

"Well…" Renge said slowly trying to think of a place to start.

Naruto wanted to listen, but his eyes drifted to the door. He wanted to know what was going on, but he realized that more than anything he wanted to chase after Hinata and make sure everything was okay. The look on her face when she ran from the room practically killed him inside. His heart tore when he saw the fear in her eyes and he wanted now more than ever to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was okay. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even hear his name called until a stamp hit him in the back of the head.

"Huh?" Naruto said intelligently turning around to find all three occupants staring at him.

"I know that you're worried about her Naruto." Jihibiki said. "But try to focus a little, this does pertain to her."

Naruto's eyes shifted to his grandfather. "Everything we know about the Hyuuga's is the same right? We know nothing new?"

Jihibiki looked at Renge before looking back at Naruto. "That's correct."

Naruto nodded and then turned around, "Then I'm leaving."

Walking to the door, he stopped when he heard Tsunade's voice.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Looking over his shoulder he answered. "First, I'm going to check on Hinata-chan and make sure she's alright."

His face then visibly darkened and his fists clenched together. "Then, I'm going to find the bastard responsible for this and beat them to a bloody pulp."

Naruto then turned back around and reached out for the door knob.

"Stop." Tsunade ordered. "I can't have you running around this village half cocked and tearing up the place."

Naruto's knuckles whitened as his grip on the door handle increased and he clenched his jaw. Seeing this, Tsunade sighed to herself.

"Go check on Hinata and then report back here, understood." Tsunade said looking him in the eyes.

Naruto's demeanor instantly changed as he nodded and left quickly.

Tsunade sat back in her chair with another deep sigh before her face twisted into confusion and she looked up at the aged Uzumakis.

"Hinata-chan?" she asked.

Renge laughed and shook her head. "Get comfortable Tsunade-chan, it's a long story."

**(Fifteen Minutes Earlier)**

Hiashi and Neji were making their way towards the hospital as quickly as they could while still looking dignified. Unfortunately for both of them they were failing miserably at the task. As they crossed the empty courtyard between the Hokage tower and the hospital a lone Branch Member walked out to greet them.

"Lead the way." Hiashi barked out as he walked up to the subservient Hyuuga.

The Branch Member, however, stood in his spot and simply stared at Hiashi and Neji.

"Did you not hear me?" Hiashi asked, his irritation rising. "Show me to my daughter."

Hiashi didn't even stop walking and even passed by the Branch Member when the man's response stopped him in his tracks.

"Gisei."

Hiashi halted midstep and turned towards the stationary man.

"What did you just say?" Hiashi asked.

"My name is Gisei." The Branch Member stated impassively. "I have a name you worthless dog, I would appreciate it if you would remember to use it next time you address me."

Neji stood next to Hiashi dumbstruck while the latter began to shake with anger.

"I'll only say this once: explain yourself and apologize." Hiashi said in a dangerously low voice.

"You're correct about that." Gisei said arrogantly. "You _will_ only say it once, because after that no one is going to listen anymore."

A tense silence fell over the group for a brief moment. In that moment a battle of wills raged between Hiashi and Gisei, neither willing to break eye contact. When the moment finally passed Gisei spoke again.

"My purpose here is not to show you to your pathetic daughter." Gisei explained ignoring the looks from the other two Hyuugas. "It is to simply tell you to do what the elders say, or else."

"Or else, what?" Hiashi asked narrowing his eyes.

Gisei motioned to the hospital behind them. "Oh, I think you understand what _could_ happen."

Neji couldn't help but show the outrage on his face while Hiashi simply ground his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Good, you do understand." Gisei said with a smirk. "If you attempt to inform the Hokage about what is happening within our clan then your entire family will be slaughtered like the pigs you are. This is a matter that concerns only Hyuugas after all. We don't need other's meddling in our affairs."

Neji opened his mouth to counter but Gisei cut him off.

"You should be grateful that this time it was just an accident. Next time you won't be so lucky."

"What is Gourzi planning?" Hiashi snarled.

"Gourzi?" Gisei asked incredulously. "You think this is Gourzi's doing?"

Gisei tilted his head back and laughed loudly which only served to anger the two more.

Wiping a tear away from his pupil less eye he continued. "You're so clueless. Gourzi is only a pawn in the grand scheme of things." Gisei then shrugged. "Then again he said you always were slow to pick up on things. Isn't that right, Hi-ass-hi?"

Now it was Hiashi's turn to show shock. Neji quickly noted this and asked the only question that was left.

"Who's in control?"

"Why don't you ask Hi-ass-hi. He knows." Gisei said with mirth.

"Who is it Uncle?" Neji asked confused.

"He's lying." Hiashi said narrowing his eyes. "He would never betray me."

"Who?!" Neji practically shouted looking back and forth between the two.

"Hyuuga Akesuke." Gesei said with an arrogant smirk.

"W-What?" Neji said.

"Liar." Hiashi said again.

"I am not!" Gisei shouted angrily pointing at Hiashi. "I have come here as Akesuke-sama has ordered! I have delivered my message like I was told to! Now all that's left is to tell you one last thing."

A crazed look had now developed in Gisei's eyes and a maniacal grin spread across his face.

"Do not think that you can tell anyone about what is happening or that you can go to anyone for help." He warned as spittle flew from his mouth. "We have eyes and ears everywhere. If you so much as even _think_ about telling someone about what is happening we will kill you and your family."

He paused for a moment before perversely grinning even wider.

"But I'll make sure to take my time with your daughters. We'll have lots of fun before I end their miserable existences."

"You son of a bitch!" Hiashi shouted before holding up his hand and activating the Caged Bird Seal.

Gisei screamed out in pain and clutched his head before he stumbled back blindly. He continued to scream as he sunk down to his knees, his agonized cries echoing in the courtyard. Neji grimaced at the sight while Hiashi looked on impassively. However, both of their expressions changed when Gisei suddenly started to laugh. Confused, Hiashi and Neji watched as Gisei stood up and stopped clutching his head. Moving his hands around to the back of his head Gisei smirked.

"You didn't think you were the only one to remove that wretched seal from someone did you?" he asked untying his headband and letting it fall.

Hiash and Neji stood staring in a mixture of shock and anger. Gisei's arrogant smile never left his face as he ran a hand over his unmarked forehead and then ran it back through his hair.

"The elder's have begun to remove the seals from Branch Member's that are loyal to them." Gisei explained. "Furthermore, there are several more that are loyal and have not yet had the seal removed."

"You honestly believe that you will keep this freedom after I've been removed from power?" Hiashi asked.

Shaking his head he added. "You've even more naïve than what I originally thought."

Gisei's face contorted into anger. "Shut your mouth you piece of trash! Akesuke-sama is a great man and he will end the tyranny that you have tormented us with!"

Regaining his composure Gisei's eyes narrowed as he looked Hiashi in the eyes.

"My mission is complete; I'll be taking my leave now."

Waving his hand in a dismissive manner Gisei said in a haughty tone, "Go to your worthless daughters."

However a lecherous smile appeared on his lips as he added, "You never know when the last time you'll see them might be."

Neji's anger spiked, he felt a deep hatred for the man in front of him steadily growing hotter and hotter in his chest. His mind ceased to function though as he was slammed with the most oppressive wave of killing intent he had ever felt. It was thick and heavy, smothering him as it rolled over his body. He was a Jounin, a _Jounin, _and he still was freezing like this!

"_And the worst part is this isn't even directed at me!"_ Neji thought as he glanced over at Hiashi.

The man was standing as still as a statue. His fists were clenched and his head was down shading his eyes from the other two. Neji had a feeling though, if he were to see the pale eyes of his Uncle, the only thing he'd see reflected in them would be his death.

"Ooooh, how scary." Gisei said mockingly as he shrugged it off. "Living as a Branch Member, you learn to deal with this kind of feeling since it surrounds you constantly. Besides, you can't touch me."

Stooping down he picked up his headband off of the ground and looked at Hiashi one last time.

"Is there any message you'd like me to relay to the elders?" Gisei asked, "Perhaps a plea to spare you and your pathetic family?"

"Yes, there is one thing." Hiashi said darkly.

"And what would you like me to tell them?" Gisei asked raising his headband to his head to retie it.

However, as the headband passed his eyes Hiashi suddenly appeared in front of the traitorous Branch Member with his hand raised back and the promise of death burning in his eyes.

"You don't have to say anything." Hiashi whispered.

Before Gisei could even process what he said or what was even happening Hiashi brought his palm forward and thrust it into Gisei's chest. The chakra surrounding Hiashi's palm was so great that the Byakugan wasn't even necessary to see it.

There was a moment of silence before Gisei looked at Hiashi with widened eyes. Except that his eyes were no longer in his head. Blood began to pour out of every orifice of the man's body as he crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap.

Neji stood rooted in his spot as he watched what was left of Gisei fall to the ground. He hadn't seen Hiashi move. Hell, he didn't even heard Hiashi move. The palm thrust didn't even move Gisei back one inch but there had been so much chakra in his hand. Yet Neji couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead man.

Hiashi turned around and looked at Neji, his face and outer robe covered in blood and gore from where Gisei's eyes had ruptured out of their sockets.

"Neji," he said in an even tone that gave Neji shivers, "let us continue to the hospital."

Not even waiting for a response Hiashi turned and made his way towards the hospital, completely ignoring the Hyuuga corpse.

"W-What have you done?" Neji whispered in awe and a little bit of fear.

Hiashi stopped and turned halfway to look at Neji. Neji finally raised his eyes to look at his Uncle was met with the piercing gaze of hardened and unmoving conviction.

"Declared war." Hiashi said with a controlled rage burning in his eyes. Turning back to the hospital, Hiashi continued on not even bothering to wait for Neji.

Finally finding his legs again, Neji hurried after his uncle and fell in line behind him. However, curiosity finally got the best of him and he activated his eyes to see just what Hiashi had done to Gisei. He grimaced immediately and shut off his doujutsu, shuttering in the process.

"Uncle, what was that technique you just used?" Neji asked after a moment of silence. "It was something I have never seen before, even the way you used your hand was different."

Hiashi didn't seem to hear him as he stopped at the fountain in the center of the courtyard and wiped the blood from his face. Washing his hands in the water, he then took off his outer robe revealing his clean, untouched white robe underneath. Leaving the outer robe there, he then proceeded towards the hospital. Neji followed behind silently and when they finally reached the doors Hiashi spoke.

"The technique you just witnessed is a forbidden jutsu that was only knowledgeable to the first generation of Hyuuga who were here when this village was first founded. It is the technique that gave the Hyuuga's the reputation we now hold and struck fear into the hearts of all our enemies in battle. It was after the First Shinobi War that the technique was banned as too powerful, deadly, and inhumane to continue using."

"What is this technique called?" Neji asked in a hushed voice.

Hiashi was quiet for a moment as he followed Shinrai whom had reappeared to lead the way once again. "Before our main taijutsu was called the Gentle Fist it went by another name. This name is what our original and forbidden technique was called."

"And that was?" Neji asked.

Looking over at Neji, Hiashi answered. "The Hollow Fist."

Silence reigned over the two as they made their way towards the room. Neji was lost in thought, replaying what Hiashi did over and over again in his head trying to figure out how he did what he did. Hiashi was also lost in thought but his mind seemed conflicted as if he were debating something.

Finally the door to the room they were searching for appeared before them still guarded by other Branch Members. As they reached the door, Neji finally spoke causing his uncle to pause with his hand on the door.

"Uncle, I wish to learn this technique."

Hiashi's eyes narrowed for a moment before he answered. "You will."

Opening the door he was greeted to the sight of Hinata a holding a soundly sleeping Hanabi in her lap. His hardened eyes met his daughter's gaze and he could feel the conviction in her eyes; eyes that demanded retribution.

"You all will." Hiashi finished.

**(Present Time)**

Naruto made his way to the hospital as quickly as he could. At first he had been taking his time, knowing that Hinata would probably want to be with her family first. However, things changed quickly with the discovery he made in the courtyard.

His mind had been wandering on what to do about his predicament with his feelings when he stepped in a puddle. When he did two things registered in his brain.

One: It had not rained in at least a week.

Two: Rain was not the color red.

Looking down Naruto felt his heart rise to his throat. He found himself standing in an unhealthy amount of blood. That was all it took because in seconds Naruto was in the hospital and at the front desk asking for the room number. Luckily, or unluckily, Naruto had spent enough time in the hospital already to locate the room quickly. As he ran to the door he was stopped by two Branch Members guarding the door.

"I'm sorry Uzumaki-sama, but Hiashi-sama has requested that no one disturb his family." One the guards said apologetically.

"Oh come on!" Naruto yelled in frustration. "You can't at least let me in for a few minutes?!"

The other Branch Member shook his head which was about to set Naruto off on a rant when a voice stopped him.

"Forget it Naruto-nii, I've been trying to get in every since Hanabi got here."

Naruto turned around to find Konohamaru sitting on a bench by the door with a mixture of boredom and worry on his face.

"Konohamaru?" Naruto asked confused. "What are you doing here?"

Konohamaru blushed slightly but answered. "I was here to see if Hanabi-chan was okay."

"And how is she?" Naruto asked.

"Hanabi-sama is fine. She received a small cut on her ribs but that was all." One of the guards answered.

"That's a relief." Naruto said visibly relaxing. "After I saw all the blood out in the courtyard I thought something serious had happened."

The guards seemed to tense at this but said nothing.

"Hey I got another question." Naruto said turning to Konohamaru. "How did you know Hanabi was here?"

Konohamaru blushed slightly but answered regardless.

"I was playing with Hanabi-chan when she was attacked." the young ninja said.

"Don't be a fool." One of the guards interrupted getting Naruto's attention. "Sarutobi-san drove off Hanabi-sama's attacker after she and Ko-san were injured. The Hyuuga's are in young Sarutobi-san's debt."

Konohamaru's blush deepened at the praise he was receiving from the Branch Members as well as the proud smile that had spread across Naruto's face.

"Aw shucks guys, you're making me blush." Konohamaru said laughing while rubbing the back of his head embarrassingly.

Naruto laughed as well but his smile slowly faded away after a moment.

Looking at Konohamaru seriously he said, "You need to report what happened to Tsunade-baachan. You're coming back with me to her office after this, got it?"

Konohamaru nodded and gave a salute showing that he got the order loud and clear. Naruto smiled again at the young apprentice that he taught every so often and felt a small sense of pride swell up inside of him.

"_I wonder if this is what Ero-sennin ever felt with me?"_ Naruto wondered.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open behind him and he saw Hiashi poke his head out.

"Naruto, I thought I heard your voice." The clan head said firmly. "Please come inside for a moment, I'd like to speak to you about something."

Naruto nodded and followed his way inside the room. When Naruto turned around from shutting the door he was met with the blazing Byakugan of Hiashi; to which after seeing Naruto nearly lost all bowel control.

Regaining his composure he grew angry instantly and raised his fists before shouting, "What the hell are doing?!"

Hiashi's response was simple. "Shhhh!" he hissed before jamming a finger against the blonde's lips.

Naruto couldn't help but think that Hiashi was acting strange but as he watched him Naruto realized that he seemed to be searching for something.

And he was. Hiashi was waiting to see if one of the Branch Members would activate their Byakugan to try and eavesdrop on their conversation. Sure enough, after a few seconds of entering the room the member who had praised Konohamaru earlier activated his eyes. Hiashi gritted his teeth and the two seemed to stare each other down before the man suddenly grew hesitant and deactivated his eyes. He then said something to Konohamaru and smiled reassuringly.

"_I don't know what you said Konohamaru, but I'll give you anything you want for all your help."_ Hiashi thought before glancing over at Hanabi. _"Anything…"_

* * *

><p>Konohamaru was sitting on the bench as patiently as he could while he waited for Naruto to come back. Looking up, he noticed that one of the Branch Members had his Byakugan activated and he seemed to be analyzing something intently.<p>

"Hey why are you doing that?" he asked curiously.

The Branch Member seemed shocked for a second before saying, "I'm merely checking to make sure that Hiashi-sama and his family are safe."

"Oh that's not necessary!" Konohamaru said laughing. "It's just Naruto-nii and everyone knows he's a hero!"

The Branch Member seemed to be conflicted for a second before he deactivated his eyes and smiled.

"Of course he is. I guess I'm just a little on edge." he said reassuringly.

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" Naruto asked thoroughly confused as to what was happening.<p>

"Listen because we don't have much time." Hiashi said quickly in a low tone. "Take this."

Pulling out a folded piece of paper, Hiashi quickly stuffed it into Naruto's hand.

"This explains everything that I have learned recently." Hiashi explained quickly. "Tell Tsunade-sama that she cannot, I repeat _cannot_, make a move. Both of our hands are tied in the matter I fear and the only way we can receive help is if it comes from outside the system."

"Umm, okay?" Naruto said completely lost now.

"Naruto, I know things are confusing right now but they will become clear once you read that letter." Neji said coming up next to Hiashi. "We're counting on you to get this information to Tsunade-sama."

Naruto's confused eyes darted from Neji to Hiashi before settling on Hinata. Her eyes held worry, but not for herself. It was a deep concern for her family and now she was depending on him for help.

"Naruto!" Hiashi whispered urgently gaining the blonde's attention once again. "I know that I'm asking too much but please, help my family one more time."

Naruto heard the plea in his voice and instantly felt his heart harden with resolve. His face changed to one of determination and he nodded in understanding.

"Okay now when you leave the guards are going to be suspicious of what happened in here." Hiashi said quickly glancing at the door. "This is what you need to say..."

After giving a quick cover story to use, Hiashi wished Naruto luck. Turning to the door, Naruto was about to leave when he was stopped by Hinata.

"N-Naruto-kun…" her voice said softly.

Turning to her Naruto saw unshed tears in her pools of soft lavender. Uncertainty swam in the depths of her eyes. She was worried for his safety just like the rest of her family and it showed on her face. Seeing that she had his attention she clutched her sleeping baby sister a little closer to her and spoke.

"P-Please be c-careful."

Naruto gave her a confident yet soft smile and a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Hinata-chan, I'll be fine!"

Turning quickly around so she couldn't see the burn on his face for letting the "-chan" slip he opened the door and left the room without another word. The rest of the room stayed silent for a full minute before a blushing Hinata on the verge of fainting managed to squeak out,

"H-H-Hinata-chan?!"

* * *

><p>As soon as Naruto stepped out of the room he was instantly bombarded with questions from an impatient Konohamaru. Naruto did his best to answer all the worried Genin's questions, but he couldn't help but notice that the guards seemed to be listening to see if he said anything in particular. Feeling the pressure, Naruto resorted to what Hiashi told him to say.<p>

"Alright we need to go see baa-chan, Konohamaru." Naruto said seriously. "Apparently Hanabi was attacked by one of the Akatsuki members. This is a serious breach of the village security so we need to inform her, let's get moving."

Konohamaru's face instantly became serious as flashbacks of the last time the Akatsuki entered the village replayed through his head. Nodding his head he fell in step behind Naruto and followed him as they began to walk away from the room. It wasn't until they had turned the corner that Naruto let go of the breath that he didn't even know he was holding.

"_I've got to get back to baa-chan so we can figure out what's going on!"_ Naruto thought as he and Konohamaru walked briskly back to the Hokage tower.

* * *

><p>Gourzi stood shaking with rage and glaring down at one of the Branch Members that were loyal to him. How could such a simple order turn into a total nightmare? It was simple to follow, easy to remember, and yet Gisei still failed. Not only did he fail though, he also was killed in the process! But that wasn't even the worst part of it. No, the worst part was that someone had gone over his head and told Gisei to stand down, to not kill Hanabi and to deliver a message, a fake one no less, to Hiashi. All together, it was too much and once again Gourzi found his patience quickly eroding away.<p>

"Who gave the order for Gisei to change his mission?" Gourzi asked quietly.

"I do not know." The Branch Member answered not looking up from their kneeling position.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW!?" Gourzi exploded.

"Gisei-san left immediately to carry out his mission." The Branch Member explained. "If someone were to have changed his mission details they must have done so while he was in route."

"Then find out who's responsible for this?" Gourzi asked enraged.

"**That would've been me." **

Gourzi's attention was directed to the far corner of the room that was shrouded in shadow. Stepping forward into the light Zetsu appeared; his black skin allowing him to practically hide his entire presence in the dimly lit room except for his smile.

"Zetsu?" Gourzi asked in a mixture of outrage and disbelief. "How dare you go above my head!? Your master will hear of this!"

Zetsu's smile turned into a frown quickly. **"I did what had to be done to protect Madara-sama's interests. You have been failing significantly on your end of the deal so Madara-sama asked me to come and try to salvage what I could."**

"I-I have everything under control!" Gourzi sputtered out. "Why would you change the details of the mission?"

"**Clearly,"** Zetsu said unconvinced while crossing his arms, **"You're an even bigger idiot than what I originally anticipated."**

"How dare you!" Gourzi shouted in anger. "I am above you trash!"

"**You are nothing more than an insignificant worm!"** Zetsu snapped back. **"Trying to murder the Clan Head's daughter, you're a complete and utter fool!"**

"**You think that would put Hiashi in his place?"** The plant hybrid asked. **"Killing his daughter would do nothing more than fuel him to retaliate. If you want to control someone then you control them with fear. That is why I told Gisei to only injure little Hanabi instead of kill her."**

Walking further into the light Zetsu looked evenly at Gourzi.

"**Hiashi may be shaking in rage, he may want nothing more than to tear us all apart, but he will not make a single move if he thinks his family is in danger. He may want to retaliate, he may even train them to make them stronger, but we have the power and we are in control now. Hiashi is nothing more than a helpless fly trapped in our web."**

Zetsu paused and then added. **"However, I did not anticipate Hiashi killing Gisei. I took his body afterwards and I must say that whatever Hiashi used was both effective and…unique."**

Gourzi growled and clutched his fists at his side but bit his tongue and dropped the subject.

"Why did you order Gisei to relay a false message?" Gourzi asked.

"**That's an easy one."** Zetsu replied with an evil grin spreading across his face. **"I found your mole."**

"Who was it?!" Gourzi demanded.

"**The one you originally suspected, Akesuke."** Zetsu answered.

"I'll admit that I suspected him at first," Gourzi said shocked, "but after he told us of the location of the scroll I had him figured as an ally."

"**The best lie is sometimes the truth."** Zetsu replied. "**He's deceiving you through honesty."**

"It is a legitimate hidden drawer." Gourzi argued. "Even our Byakugan cannot pierce it."

"**But that doesn't mean that the scroll is there."** Zetsu said irritated. **"Akesuke told you the location of a hidden compartment, yes, but it's too convenient that the Byakugan cannot see through the drawer. The scroll is most likely being kept somewhere else."**

"So why the false message?" Gourzi asked.

"**You clearly know nothing of counterintelligence."** Zetsu said disappointedly. **"By sending out a false message Hiashi will be slow to trust his mole. He might not even trust him at all now."**

"But doing so would require some outstanding proof." Gourzi mused crossing his arms. "What did you use?"

Zetsu smirked. **"I managed to dig up an old nickname that Akesuke called Hiashi back before he became the Clan Head. It was a miracle that I managed to find it but from Hiashi's reaction it seemed to do the trick."**

"Then what should we do?" Gourzi asked. "Should we kill Akesuke?"

Zetsu shook his head and chuckled. **"You're so eager to send a head rolling. Be patient, our next move is working itself out as we speak."**

Gourzi became curious at hearing this, "How so?"

Zetsu's smirk turned into a full on maniacal grin as he stepped back into the shadows.

"**Distrust, fear, and isolation,"** Zetsu's voice echoed as he began to laugh. **"These are our greatest weapons right now and Hiashi's biggest enemy."**

Gourzi watched as Zetsu started to sink back into the walls of the hidden lair, and just before he fully disappeared Zetsu said one last thing.

"**Be patient Gourzi. In time Hiashi will come undone from the sheer amount of weight on his nerves. Time is our ally and Hiashi, his enemy,"**


	24. Knights of the Shadows

**A/N: Hi, remember me guys? Yeah, I barely remember me too. Sorry I'm ridiculously late on this. Honestly I've been busy with work, but that's a lame excuse. So let's try this: my favorite author, published work, came out with a new serious and I've been distracted with that. **

"**Boo! Shame on you Guennar for ditching us for your own selfish ways!" You say. I can only nod my head in agreement. **

**But if we can take something away from this, hopefully it is a learning experience for me, that make reading more enjoyable for you. **

"**What do you mean?" You ask now, interest piqued. "Did you learn something kickass that will take this story to the next level?" **

**My answer is, yes and no. Great, now that I have you utterly confused you have no choice but to continue reading this ridiculously long author's note to understand what I mean. For you rebels that are now about to skip down the chapter…STOP! Please. Thank you. Now continue on. **

**Yes in the sense that Naruto, as well as a few other characters I have deemed worthy enough, are about to enter the next level of badassery. No, in the sense that the story was already planned out. What I hopefully can bring to the table for you dedicated and loyal readers in this upcoming chapter is a new writing style. In one word I would describe it as: free. I personally like it and feel that it flows better but I want to hear your opinions on the matter. So after reading please, let me know what you think of it.**

Last Time: Hanabi was attacked by an assailant who turned out to be Zetsu. By doing so, the Branch Members were able to interrupt the meeting that Hiashi was about to have with the Hokage about the internal conflict within the clan. As Hiashi and Neji left to go see Hanabi, they were confronted by a Branch Member who informed them that Gourzi was not the true man pulling the strings but Hiashi's long time friend, Akesuke. Enraged, Hiashi killed the man with a technique that Neji had never seen before. A technique that Hiashi said was actually banned from use for being too brutal and destructive. The Hollow Fist. Arriving at the hospital Hiashi informs all of the Hyuuga children that they will learn the Hollow Fist. Awhile later, Naruto comes by the hospital to check on Hinata and Hanabi. Getting yanked inside by Hiashi, he then tells Naruto that he must deliver a message to Tsunade at all costs. Agreeing to help, Naruto leaves the hospital and takes Konohamaru with him as an alibi. In the meantime, Gourzi is frantically trying to figure out who is controlling everything. When Zetsu explains that it was him, Gourzi demands an explanaition why. Zetsu tells Gourzi that he is failing and taking necessary steps to ensure that Madara's plans come to pass. He then explains that by using distrust and fear they would take control of the Hyuuga clan.

**Chapter 23: Knights of the Shadows**

"Boss slow down!" Konohamaru yelled as he practically ran to keep up with Naruto's quick pace.

"Shh!" Naruto said while giving Konohamaru a look. "Just stay quiet and keep up!" he hissed.

"Uh, what's going on?" the small Genin asked with a hint of apprehension in his voice. "And what was with that note?"

"Can't explain here." Naruto said quickly as the two walked through the double doors of the hospital and entered the courtyard. "Wait until we get to Tsunade, I can't say anything with all these Hyuugas aro-"

"-Naruto-sama, could you wait just a moment!"

Naruto froze in his tracks and he felt his blood turn to ice. Konohamaru saw the quick flash of panic in his eyes and instantly went on edge as well. Both turned around to find the source of the voice approaching them quickly: a Branch Member.

"_Fuck…"_ Naruto thought as his mind instantly began to go through his options.

"Naruto-sama," The Branch Member said with a short bow after finally catching up, "Do you have a moment?"

Plastering on what felt like the fakest smile in the world Naruto answered, "Sorry, but not really. Konohamaru and I have to get back to Tsunade-baachan so we can give her a report."

"I must insist you at least hear what I have to say." The Branch Member said forwardly.

"_This bastard isn't going to let me go."_ Naruto thought as he narrowed his eyes. Glancing over at Konohamaru, Naruto could tell that the kid could tell something wasn't right. The way he had subtly shifted his standing position allowed him to grab a kunai without being seen and his shoulders had tensed to prepare for any immediate action. Naruto couldn't help as a little pride swelled up inside of him. _"Damn that kid has come a long way…" _

"_But now is not the time to fight."_ Naruto surmised as he glanced back at the Hokage building. He wondered if Jihibiki and Renge were still in the meeting with Tsunade and if it was possible to call for back up.

Suddenly an idea went off in the blonde's head. Naruto quickly gauged the distance and from him and Konohamaru to the Hokage tower.

"_It's a long shot and is going to take all the luck in the world…" _Naruto thought as he turned his attention back to the Branch Member.

"Naruto, are you even listening?" The Branch Member asked more threatening this time.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized with smile. "I'd love to chat but we must be going." Naruto took a step towards Konohamaru and put a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe some other time?" Naruto asked.

"I won't let you leave." The Branch Member said. "I know that Hiashi gave you some kind of message."

"Try and stop us then." Naruto taunted with a smirk while making the half ram sign with his free hand. _"Please let this work!"_

The Branch Member moved to stop them but as his hand reached Naruto the two disappeared in a bright flash of light. Confused and bewildered, the Branch Member activated his Byakugan and cursed furiously when he found the two right outside of the Hokage's office.

* * *

><p>Konohamaru was put on edge when the Branch Member started being pushy with Naruto. He became confused when Naruto placed his hand on his shoulder and made the hand sign. But Konohamaru was at a complete loss for words when he found himself upside down in a potted plant in the secretary's office in less than a second.<p>

The first thing he felt was sickening tug on his stomach before the world seemed to turn upside down and then a sharp pain on his neck and shoulders from where he landed roughly in the plant. The next thing he heard was a loud crash as Naruto hit the secretary's desk, slid across it sending documents through the air, and then fell to the ground hard. The last thing was his ears meeting the panicked and frightened screams of the poor secretary.

Falling out of the foliage and landing on his side, Konohamaru struggled shakily to his hands and knees while fighting back the bile that was determined to escape from his mouth. "Wh-What the fuck?" Konohamaru asked dazed as the room spun slowly.

The next second the doors to the Hokage office burst open and Tsunade, and two senior citizens entered the room. Tsunade quickly rushed over to Konohamaru while the other two went straight to Naruto and dragged him to the center of the room and placed him on his back. From what Konohamaru could see when Tsunade wasn't blocking his line of sight, Naruto was passing in and out of consciousness. The old red head seemed to be angrily lecturing him while the old man seemed to be trying to listen to Naruto mumble something out.

"Are you alright?"

The question seemed to shake Konohamaru from his daze. Looking at the medic/Hokage he nodded. "I'm fine, what hap-"

"-NARUTO!"

Both Konohamaru and Tsunade's heads whipped around to see the blonde shuddering and convulsing on the ground. His eyes had rolled into the back of his head and foam was forming at the corners of his mouth.

"Shit!" Tsunade shouted as she quickly moved to Naruto.

"What's happening?" Konohamaru asked desperately as he moved towards Naruto as well.

"Suki, get Konohamaru out of here!" Tsunade ordered. "Jihibiki, Renge, hold him down! His body is having a seizure from whatever just happened!"

"The idiot tried using the Space/Time jutsu with his chakra sealed!" Jihibiki said quickly as he noticed that the bracelets cracked and the kanji for 'seal' had been melted away.

"Not only did he try to transport himself, but the child over there as well!" Renge said with a tinge of panic in her voice. "He used every ounce of chakra he had to accomplish that! His body is literally suffocating from an absence of chakra!"

Tsunade was already working furiously to resuscitate Naruto's shuddering form while processing what the two told her and doing her best to ignore the choking noises Naruto was making.

"Someone get the damn seals off of him then!" Tsunade said as a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead.

"No need to." Jihibiki said eyeing the bracelets closer. "The seals are destroyed. Just focus on getting some of his chakra back."

"Doing my best!" Tsunade grunted out.

That was the last thing Konohamaru saw as Suki pulled him down the steps and away from the three shinobi working over his hero.

* * *

><p>The air was thick with moisture and cold to the touch as the cool mist clung to his hair and skin. A brief shiver ran through his body as he looked at his surroundings. Naruto was in his mindscape again and this time he had not come here by choice. That only meant one thing; Kurama was ready to talk. Letting out a foggy breath in the cold air, Naruto began to trudge through the muddy dead forest that now made up his mindscape. Seemingly wandering around lost through the trees, Naruto eventually came to the regular meeting spot of the two. The flashy fountain no longer sprayed geysers into the air and the pond was now a dark green color with dead leaves covering most of the surface of the water. The giant willow held few leaves now causing the tree to look like a giant skeleton of its former self, wilting over with a great sadness and half-heartedly providing protection with its thin wispy branches. At the base of the great trunk Naruto spied the orange form of Kurama curled in a ball.<p>

Stopping just in front of the branches Naruto spoke. "You've been quiet for awhile now. It must have been hard for a chatter box like you."

"**Save the jokes."** Kurama said bitterly glancing up at Naruto.

"Still on your period? Huh, figured you were done being moody and ready to talk." Naruto said with a shrug.

"**Talk about what?"** Kurama asked angrily sitting up and glaring at Naruto. **"There's nothing to talk about!"**

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"**I didn't!"** Kurama shouted. **"You brought yourself here! Probably looking to take some of my power so you don't die! That's all you ever do anyways."**

Turning around and curling up in a ball he finished, **"That's all anyone ever does."**

The demon's words struck a nerve within the blonde. "That's a load of bullshit and you know it!" Naruto shouted angrily. "I never use you for power! I told you that I wanted to be friends! Friends don't just use each other! You're the one that is resisting all of this!"

All was quiet for a moment as Naruto's words seemed to hang in the air.

"**There was a time when I wanted to believe you."** Kurama said softly.

"Huh?" Naruto said caught off guard by the response.

"**Not too long ago I believed what you said; about how you never wanted to just use me and how you wanted to be friends."** Kurama explained.

"What changed then?" Naruto asked confused.

A growl rumbled deep in Kurama's chest as he sat up and turned to look at Naruto.

"**You chose to pursue Hinata."** Kurama said angrily.

"That's what this is about?!" Naruto shouted just as angrily. "You're throwing a fucking hissy fit because I am trying to find happiness?!"

"**NO!"** Kurama's voiced boomed, shaking the tree that he sat under. **"I'm angry because you chose such a selfish path!"**

"How am I being selfish?!" Naruto asked incredulously.

"**Because you're betting Hinata's life!"**

"What the fuck did you say?" Naruto yelled as he threw back the branches and stormed towards Kurama.

"You think I'm selfishly betting her life?" Naruto asked. "Well _you_ get this straight!" Naruto said pointing a finger at the fox. "I am going to do everything in my power to protect her! With or without your power I'll do it!"

Kurama let a deep growl escape from his chest as he barred his teeth at Naruto. The boy was talking about things he didn't understand and he was pushing the fox over the edge.

"**You know nothing."** Kurama said lowly.

Getting his in his face, Naruto said angrily, "It's not like you give a shit what happens to her anyways! Why do you even care?!"

Naruto's last comment finally caused Kurama to snap. His rage exploded outwards as he slashed at Naruto ejecting him from the mindscape.

"**YOU KNOW NOTHING!"** Kurama bellowed at the spot where Naruto once stood.

The fox's voice echoed throughout the forest, projecting his angry and pained words back at him. With a deep rumble, the heavens let loose another wave of rain drowning Kurama's world with despair. Curling up against the trunk for protection, Kurama did his best to ignore his own words. However, the sound of dark laughing echoing through the trees caused the fox to perk up and scan the forest around him with narrowed eyes.

"**Who's there?"** Kurama asked warily.

This wasn't supposed to be possible. There should be no one else in this special place other than Naruto and himself. It caused the hairs on Kurama's back to stand on end.

"_**You know who I am..." **_the voice answered chidingly. _**"I know you know who I am...Just like I know your secret about that girl…Because unlike him, **_**I**_** know **_**ev-ery-thing.**_**"**_

Kurama let out a growl as he searched the dark forest for the source of the voice. **"You talk big. Show yourself!"** Kurama demanded angrily.

Another dark chuckle erupted from the deepest darkest part of the undergrowth in the forest. _**"No…Not yet…My time has not come just yet. But fear not. It will come in due time."**_

From the pitch black shadows of the forest two, crimson, black slit eyes opened and a white feral smile appeared in the darkness. The fangs gleamed in the low light and the eyes burned like smoldering coals.

"_**All in due time." **_

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes fluttered open to find him staring up at the ceiling of the Hokage's office. With a groan, he slowly sat up on his elbow and rubbed his head while willing the splitting headache to go away. His body was shaking lightly and he couldn't tell if it was from lack of chakra or his recent spat with Kurama. Regardless, he took a deep breath and held it before releasing the air and calming down slightly.<p>

"Welcome back." Tsunade's voice said causing Naruto to glance over at the desk to see her sitting there staring at him intensely.

Judging from the tone of her voice Naruto could tell something was wrong, and if he had to guess there was a great chance he was the reason.

"Uh, what happened?" Naruto asked running a hand over his face.

Sliding her chair back and walking over to him Tsunade spoke. "Naruto, do you enjoying stressing me out to the point of contemplating suicide?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "Can't say that I roll out of bed in the morning with those intentions."

Tsunade's eyebrow twitched in irritation and she slapped him over the head sending a jolt of pain through him. "Then stop doing it!" She shouted frustrated. "Do you realize you almost died?! What the hell happened?"

Naruto rubbed his now throbbing head while he tried to come up with an answer.

"Let's see here. First I went to check on Hinata-chan at the hospital. When I got there Hiashi pulled me inside and told me that I couldn't trust the Branch Members, which was weird. Then he-" Naruto stopped abruptly as his eyes shot open. His tiredness seemed to practically vanish as he was replaced with an overabundance of urgency.

"Then what?" Tsunade asked quickly.

Naruto responded by reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sealed scroll. Opening it, he released the seal to reveal a letter which he then handed over to Tsunade.

"That letter is from Hiashi." Naruto said as he watched the blonde's eyes quickly read through the text. "Hiashi is at his limit. He no longer has control over his clan and doesn't know who he can trust. His family is being threatened by the elders and that's why Hanabi ended up in the hospital."

Tsunade paled as she read over a certain part of the message. "They have begun to remove the Caged Bird Seal from Branch Members and they are receiving outside help…" Tsunade muttered to herself in disbelief. Leaning up against the desk for support, Tsunade finished the rest of the message. When she had she looked up at Naruto with a very tired expression.

"This is the last thing we need." She said as her expression quickly turned to anger and she crushed the letter in her hand. "Those power hungry bastards are putting the entire village at risk! Don't they know we are preparing for war?!"

"They most likely see it as the best time to make a move for power." Naruto replied while swinging his legs off the couch and sitting back. "But that's not what the problem is."

Tsunade looked at Naruto and he explained. "If Hiashi doesn't know who he can trust…"

"…Then neither do we." Tsunade finished as she began to get the picture.

"We can't outright declare war on the Hyuuga clan." Naruto said with a sigh. "They are one of the most powerful clans in the village. Even with the other clan's help we would probably be able to pull it off but not without a lot of people dying."

"Covert is out as well." Tsunade said pinching the bridge of her nose. "We don't know how deep this corruption spreads. They very well could have the entire Anbu under surveillance."

There was brief moment of silence as Naruto and Tsunade sat there contemplating what to do. Without saying anything both of their heads suddenly snapped up as the same realization hit them.

"Anbu!" They both shouted at the same time.

There was a sudden blur from the corner of the ceiling as it made for the window. Tsunade acted fast, grabbing her desk and flinging it into the spy and knocking them away. The Anbu grunted in pain as they were crushed between the desk and the wall. Quickly trying to get up, they were met by Naruto who grabbed the ninja by the throat and slammed them back into the wall. Not wasting any time, Naruto grabbed the porcelain mask and wrenched it off to be met by pale burning eyes of hate.

"I guess we really can't trust anyone." Naruto said.

"Forgive us Hokage-sama." An Anbu with a Boar mask said appearing next to her along with another in a Hare mask.

"Don't worry about it," Tsunade said dismissively, "No one saw this coming."

She turned her attention to the Hyuuga. "How many of you are there in Anbu?"

"None of your damn business!" The Hyuuga spat out.

The next sound was the Hyuuga's jaw popping as his head whipped to the side and slammed into the wall.

"Wrong answer." Naruto said dangerously as he pulled his fist back. "Want to try again?"

"It's none of your concern! It is a Hyuuga matter!" The man said as best he could.

"You're putting the entire village in jeopardy with this attempted coup!" Tsunade yelled angrily.

"Then help us!" The man cried only to have his air flow cut off.

"Like hell we'd help you!" Naruto growled out.

"Not everyone likes talentless weaklings like you do, monster." The Hyuuga wheezed out angrily. "Trash like her should just be sold to a whorehouse for a pretty penny-"

The rest was cut off as Naruto grabbed them man's face and slammed him into the wall. Naruto slammed his head into the wall two more times before he lost consciousness. By the fourth time the man was already sliding down the wall, but that didn't stop the enraged blonde from slamming his head into the wall three more times before he hit the ground.

"Naruto!" Tsunade cried out.

"What?" Naruto asked coldly turning to look at her.

"We need him alive!" Tsunade said exasperatedly.

"He is." Naruto said before turning to look at the unconscious man. "For now."

He then turned and walked to the window seemingly lost in thought with a hard expression on his face.

Letting out a frustrated sigh Tsunade turned to Boar and Hare. "Get this piece of trash to the I.D. After that get the Commander and tell him you all are to report here immediately."

Boar and Hare both nodded and then disappeared with the Hyuuga traitor. Picking up her desk, Tsunade put it back in its place and sat down. With a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world on it she leaned forward and held her head.

"Naruto…" She whispered.

The voice was soft and quiet, sounding brittle and easy to break if she spoke too loud. Naruto turned towards his adoptive mother and could feel his heart break a little. She looked lost and confused. Not that anyone could blame her really. In all of its years the Hidden Leaf had never seen the amount of power or destruction wrought upon it.

"I don't know if I can do this." Tsunade said, her eyes drifting up to his. "There's so much happening in every direction that I don't know where to even start."

Naruto opened his mouth to say something comforting but he was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Hokage-sama, the members of the village council in charge of the festival are here for their meeting." Suki's voice called through the door.

Tsunade gave an irritable sigh.

"Great, just what I need; more paperwork." She muttered to herself.

"I'm busy right now, have them come back later." She called through the door.

"Hokage-sama we've already had our meeting cancelled twice already, we need to discuss the upcoming events. The festival is in less than two weeks!" A voice called through the door.

"Indeed!" another voice called through the door. "We must discuss this right away! Everything else will have to wait."

"Are they serious?" Naruto asked Tsunade incredulously.

"Unfortunately they are." Tsunade answered miserably.

The door opened and in walked a short squat man with curly brown hair, a mustache, and wiry glasses along with a tall man with short black hair and thick rimmed glasses. Naruto would have normally laughed at their appearances since they were completely ridiculous and contrasted each other so much, but right now he was not in the mood. However, the men paid no attention to him as they walked in and stood before Tsunade's desk. Each was holding a stack of papers in their hands at which the blonde eyed with much hatred.

"Hokage-sama," the short man began, "we must decide on the location of the booths, the number of booths that will be there, as well as what kind of booths we'll be having."

"Also," chimed in the taller man, "We must decide on the color theme for the festival as well as what we will do for entertainment."

"Then there's the ceremony."

"The music."

"The speech."

The two men continued to list off item after item that needed to be discussed. With each detail the men said Tsunade's head slumped lower and lower to her desk while she held it in her hands. Naruto was just about to say something when Suki returned.

"Tsunade-sama, a delegation has just arrived from Cloud to fill you in on the details from the 5 Kage Summit meeting."

Naruto turned and looked past Suki making out the familiar short blonde hair that he had seen previously before. Samui was here and if she was then that meant so were the other two.

"They'll have to wait; we're in the middle of something important." The tall man said indignantly.

"I highly doubt it is." By the voice Naruto could tell it was Karui and she sounded irritated.

"How dare you!" The short squat man cried out. "Of course it's important! Right, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade looked up from her desk. "Of course-"

"-See! Important!" The small man said in a shrill voice that made Naruto grind his teeth together. The man's voice was certainly not helping his headache. "So get out!"

"You can't be serious." Samui said coolly but her agitation was evident.

"No, they aren't-" Tsunade tried to get out.

"-Of course we are!" The man's voice went higher and more shrill which Naruto didn't even think was possible.

"Can I please ta-"

"-Tsunade-sama, what are your orders?" Boar asked as he reappeared with Hare.

"Hokage-sama, this demands your attention!"

"Tsunade-sama, what should I tell the Cloud delegation?"

"Orders, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade had a look of complete overwhelm on her face. Her eyes were darting around the crowd in the room helplessly. She didn't know who to talk to, where to start, or what to do. They were hounding her for answers, attention, and guidance which she did not have at the moment. It made Naruto angry. No. Not angry, furious. Just as the voices in the room rose as they argued amongst one another, Naruto's fury rose too until it finally burst and flowed out of him.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Everyone stopped what they were saying and turned to stare at him.

"I'm only going to say this once, if you are not a ninja of this village then GET OUT!" As he said this he pointed towards the door.

"I don't care if you are a hero of this village or not!" The short man's shrill voice screeched. "But I will not be spoken to as a child! I am a member of the village council!"

Stalking towards the two men that wore glasses, Naruto got in the little man's face. "Do you know where we live?"

The man seemed completely confused by the question at first. "I fail to see-"

_Crack!_ The man held his cheek in surprise and a little bit of fear. Everyone stared at Naruto as if he was insane.

"Answer the question!" Naruto yelled.

"T-The Hidden Leaf Village?"

Rounding on the tall man, Naruto glared at him. "And do you know what kind of village this is?"

"A sh-shinobi village." The man sputtered out.

"And do either of you know who's in charge of this village?"

The men looked at each other for a second. "The Hokage."

"Final question." Naruto said lowly with an angry glare. "What does the Hokage do?"

The tall man spoke first. "The Hokage protects the village and commands the ninja force, they-"

"-I'm sorry," Naruto interrupted, "say that again."

"I said 'the Hokage protects the village and commands the ninja force.'" The man repeated.

"Exactly." Naruto growled. He ripped the stacks of paper out of both of the men's hands. The short man was about to protest but one look from Naruto shut him up. "So can you please tell me why you are bothering our Hokage with this _bullshit._" He laced the last word with utter contempt.

"How dare you!" The shrill man shouted finding his nerve again. "Those papers are important!"

"Does it involve ninjas?" Naruto asked.

"No, but-"

"-Does it involve, missions? Alliances, intel, or debriefings?" Naruto asked cutting him off.

"No."

"As I thought." Naruto said. Crumpling the papers in each hand, he then pumped a large amount of chakra into them. It hurt. It hurt like hell and he had to bite back the tears of pain that threatened to spill out, but Naruto was going to get his point across.

The papers burst into flames and both of the men let out a cry of dismay.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the tall man asked in shock.

"Making my point." Naruto stated simply. Letting the last bit of burning paper fall to the ground he then leveled them both with a gaze. "You are members of the civilian council. Do you understand what that means? It means that you people are in charge of _civilian_ matters. You people already do absolutely nothing excepts sit on your ass and cause headaches for Tsunade-baachan with paperwork so it's time for you to pull your weight."

Grabbing both of men's collars, Naruto yanked them to his face and whispered in a dangerously low voice. "If I find out either of you two, or anyone else from the civilian council for that matter, are bothering baa-chan with paperwork, I'll personally hunt you down and give you more than just a slap across the face." Tossing them back, the two stumbled over their feet and stared at him fearfully.

"The Hokage handles ninja matters in this village." Naruto declared with a note of finality. "And just so we're clear, ninja matters come first. Now get out!" He pointed at the door and the two men practically scrambled over each other and the others to try and get out of the room first.

Turning towards Suki and the Cloud nin he said a little less heatedly, "That includes you guys as well."

Suki shook out of her trance when Naruto addressed her and looked to Tsunade who was staring at Naruto in just as much disbelief. "Hokage-sama…"

"Go." Tsunade practically whispered as she continued to stare at the blonde in front of her.

Suki quickly ushered the others out the door but as she did Naruto caught Karui muttering. "I don't remember him ever being that commanding."

When they were finally alone Naruto turned to Tsunade and walked towards her desk. Tsunade, Boar, and Hare all stared at him as he looked over all the documents on her desk.

"Naruto…" Tsunade started to say.

"Quiet." Naruto commanded but then his face instantly changed and he looked at her softly and with concern. "Please, let me help."

Normally she would be angered at him for telling her to be quiet. She would have smacked him across the room and lectured him on who he was talking to. But the way he looked at her told her that he really was trying to help, so she nodded her head and bit her lip.

Shuffling through a few papers, Naruto found the few that he deemed necessary and took them. Looking at Tsunade he spoke. "I'm taking charge of the…Hyuuga Affair." Naruto said as he found the words he was looking for. He saw that Tsunade was about to protest so he spoke before she could. "You have enough on your plate as it is. You have a war to prepare for and that needs all of your focus, the entire world is riding on that. You even said yourself that you don't know if you can handle all of this. Normally I would say go ahead and give it to the Anbu, but we already know that they are compromised." As he said this Boar and Hare shifted uncomfortably.

Naruto met Tsunade's eyes. "Trust me on this baa-chan, I'll fix it. I promise."

Tsunade saw the look in his eyes and she knew that she could. How could she not? He had an impeccable record when it came to keeping promises and he always completed his missions. Maybe a bit unorthodox, but success was a success. Beside, maybe that's what this needed, an unorthodox approach.

There was a quick rap on the door and then a man walked in wearing a tan trench coat and a dog mask. As he entered Boar and Hare both gave a quick bow. "Commander."

The Anbu Commander walked up to Tsunade and gave a short bow as well. "Hokage-sama, what is it that you need?"

Tsunade looked from the commander to Naruto. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Do you trust me to handle this? She knew the answer, so with a sigh she sat back in her chair. "Commander, from here on until I deem otherwise you will answer to Uzumaki Naruto."

"Pardon?" All three Anbu said at the same time.

"You can't be serious?" Boar said in disbelief.

"He's just a Genin." Hare voiced as well.

"I understand." The commander said with a terse nod.

"Huh?!" the two underlings said in shock.

Turning to Naruto, probably the most powerful ninja in the entire Hidden Leaf system other than Tsunade, bowed. "What are my orders, Uzumaki-taichou?"

Naruto's face remained hard, but the ends of his lips quirked up in a slight smirk. "I want you to round up all of the Hyuugas under your command and arrest them."

This took the commander by surprise and he voiced it. "Forgive me but you wish for me to arrest my own men?"

"Forgiven." Naruto said simply and walked towards the door. When he reached it he turned around. "Boar, Hare!"

Both men straightened instinctually and answered. "Sir!"

"I don't care who, but I want you to gather Nara Shikamaru, Aburame Shino, and Sai. We need a place that is private, secluded, and _secure._" Naruto added as much emphasis as he could to the last one. "Come and get me when they've all gathered, I'll be at my apartment preparing."

Naruto opened the door but stopped. "Oh and one more thing. What was spoken here, as well as what we are about to do, is so secret that it goes beyond SS. If somehow what we're doing leaks and I find out who did it…I'll feed you to the Kyuubi."

As Naruto left there was a resounding "Sir!" from the men in the room with a tinge of complete fear mixed in. Boar and Hare left quickly afterwards leaving the commander and Tsunade alone.

"Hokage-sama, what is going on?" He hated not knowing what was happening around him. Knowledge was vital to him, after spending so many years as the commander of the spec ops group it had to be.

Tsunade simply smiled and shook her head. "The greatest covert operation this village has ever seen."

The commander gauged her response for moment. "Greater than the Uchiha Incident?"

Tsunade's smile left her and her face hardened. "Significantly."

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had been enjoying his day off. Not that he didn't enjoy his days off, today just happened to be special. He had been working tirelessly since the invasion which left him practically crawling home at night. If it wasn't looking over details for rebuilding sections of the village, then it was traffic control of supplies. If it wasn't that then it was correspondence with other villages. And when he finally managed to get home his father would then pull him aside and ask him about certain strategies the enemies might use.<p>

At first he was shocked that his father was asking him as if his opinion mattered. He knew his father acknowledged his intelligence, and he had to admit it made his heart swell though he would never admit it, but he never thought that his father would consider him as a confidant. After the first week, however, the extra work at home quick lost its special gleam and was replaced with grumbling and complaining. Hey, he was a Nara after all.

So this was why Shikamaru found himself lying on his back and enjoying the clouds that lazily passed overhead. The rustle and then crunch of chips to his right reminded Shikamaru that Choji was still there, chowing down like there was no tomorrow. It was habit that no one picked up on except Shikamaru, which spoke volumes about how deep their friendship really ran.

"You're eating." Shikamaru stated.

"I'm always eating." Choji pointed out.

"You're nervous eating. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing." Choji said evasively before shoving another handful of chips into his mouth.

"You're nervous about her answer aren't you?"

Choji sighed. "God damn you and your perceptiveness Shika."

They were quiet for moment.

"I think she'll say yes." Shikamaru said.

Choji choked on his chips and coughed wildly while thumping a massive slab of meat he called a fist to his chest. "You do?!"

Shikamaru sat up and looked at his pudgy friend. Pudgy, maybe, but in his opinion so many more qualities shown brighter than just his physical appearance. "Let's just say I think she can appreciate who you are and what you stand for."

"Yeah, but you know how she is about physical appearances." Choji said with uncertainty.

Shikamaru lay back down. "I think she's finally maturing and understands your physical…nature." He then smirked and added, "Plus I think the darker side of her is curious about other physical natures."

Choji flushed a wild red and coughed even more on his chips. "Damn it Shika, you shouldn't talk about her like that! And at least let me swallow before you say things like that!"

Shikamaru's smirk faded and was replaced with a thoughtful look. "Hey, what do you think?"

"Think about what?"

"If she swallows or not?"

Choji's eyes shot wide open and his face turned a shade of red so bright that his tell tale Akimichi swirls practically vanished from his face. However, before he could yell at his now laughing friend an Anbu in a Boar mask appeared before them.

"Nara Shikamaru?" The Anbu asked.

"Yes?" Shikamaru asked sitting up.

"You have been summoned. We must leave immediately."

This took Shikamaru aback for a moment. "Summoned by whom?"

"That's classified." The Anbu replied quickly and then gave him a look that said 'get it in gear.'

Shikamaru sighed and stood up. "So much for my day off." He grumbled while brushing himself off. "What horrible luck."

"I call it justice." Choji replied with a triumphant smirk.

"Let's go Nara." The Anbu said before leaping away.

Shikamaru let out an irritated sigh and leapt after the masked ninja. As he did one thought ran through his mind.

"Troublesome."

* * *

><p>Shikamaru didn't know what to think as the Anbu led him to gates of the village. He became even more confused when they left the village and continued in a random direction at a very quick pace. However, when they broke through a particular group of trees and landed on the ground it all made sense.<p>

"This is serious isn't it." he stated more than asked.

Boar continued on without stopping but answered. "You have no idea."

Shikamaru followed closely behind Boar as they entered the clearing. The forest had opened up in front of creek that had fed into a pond before spilling out at the bottom and continued on its journey. Past that was a cliff wall that rose up several stories tall. Looking closer, however, Shikamaru saw that it was more than just a cliff. With a sharp and practiced eye he saw the paths and switch backs carved into the wall. Following it up he saw that it led to the entrance of a cave, but something told him it was more than just that. He was right of course and he found out the hard way when he was suddenly jerked back by his collar by Boar.

"What gives?" Shikamaru asked coughing and rubbing his throat.

Boar simply pointed in front of him. Shikamaru looked, saw nothing, and then turned back to Boar. The Anbu stood there expectantly which annoyed the Nara.

"I don't see anything." Shikamaru said confused. It finally dawned on him as soon as the words left his mouth though. His head snapped around and he looked even harder this time. "I really don't see anything." He muttered to himself.

There was nothing past the point where he stood. No insects flying through the air, no fish swimming through the creek or pond, not even a bird in the trees. Looking back at Boar, Shikamaru cocked an eyebrow. The Anbu said nothing but stepped up and tossed a rock in front of them. The rock made it about a meter out before there was bright flash and smoke and then nothing.

Shikamaru stood there rooted to his spot and took an involuntary swallow. _"That was almost me."_ He then turned his attention to Boar. "Impressive, so how do we get in?"

Boar checked his surroundings. Then double checked, and then triple checked one last time. Satisfied he made four quick and seals and point his hand out. The air in front of them shimmered for a moment and then stopped. Boar quickly walked forward.

"Hurry." He said. "The barrier only stays down for five seconds before reactivating."

Shikamaru wasted no time and quickly fell in step. They walked across the water and then to the cliff wall. Taking a leap, the two men landed on the stone pathway and followed it back and forth. It was a gradual incline so they had to do four switch backs before finally making it to the cave entrance. Trying to peer inside, Shikamaru was met nothing but a black void. How far down did this thing go exactly?

"Let's go, the others are already here." Boar said stepping forward.

"Others?" Shikamaru asked. He got no response from Boar which didn't surprise him. He obviously wasn't the talkative type. Either that or he was severely pissed off about something. Shikamaru couldn't be sure.

The two men took about five steps into the cave before the whole world suddenly lit up with dim lights. How had he not seen this before? They had only stepped a few feet into the cave and yet Shikamaru couldn't even see the lights. Glancing back, he finally realized why. Genjutsu. Not just a vision genjustu but a sound jutsu as well since he heard voices talking further on ahead.

The two men walked about another ten meters into the cave before the path opened up into a wide cavern. Couches, chairs, and coffee tables lined one side and on the other there were beds with chests at the foot of them for belongings and equipment. Lights lit the walls around the cave and in the center hung a single giant lamp which shown over a table. All talking ceased as the two walked up to the table. In the dim light Shikamaru could make out who was with them.

Shino stood alone on one side of the table and on the other stood an Anbu in a Hare mask and Sai. There was another man at the end of the table opposite of Shikamaru and he had to squint in the dim lighting, but once he realized who it was his eyes widened.

"Commander…" Shikamaru whispered in astonishment. What the hell was going on?

"Nara Shikamaru and Boar reporting for duty, sir." Boar said with a short bow.

"Good, we're all here then." The commander said with a nod. Turning towards the couches he said, "We can begin whenever you'd like, Uzumaki-taichou."

Shikamaru's face screwed into one of confusion and shock as he turned to see the blonde standing up from the couch.

"I already told you, just call me Naruto." The blonde said with a toothy grin and shake of his head. He walked over and stood next to the commander. "Now that we're all here I guess we can begin Operation Spring Cleaning."

Everyone was quiet for a solid three seconds before Shino raised his hand.

"Yes Shino?" Naruto asked.

"You are in command correct?" Shino asked in his dull even monotone.

"Yes I am."

"Even over the Anbu Commander?"

"Two for two." Naruto said with a grin.

Shino nodded in understand and was quiet for a moment before he added, "You are aware that it's almost fall, Naruto-taichou?"

Naruto nearly face planted he was caught so off guard but he recovered quickly and glared at Shino for a split second before breaking out in a laugh. "I'm so glad that we can all skip the awkward getting to know each other stage."

Sai gave his usual fake smile and Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle. Shino even managed to nod at what Naruto had said and even the commander could be seen giving the slightest raising of his shoulders indicating that he was silently chuckling as well.

With the tension of the secret meeting gone, Naruto stole his face and looked at the men in the room seriously. "Let me make this perfectly clear. What we are about to discuss, plan, and perform are so important that failure could mean the loss of the Fourth Great Shinobi War before it even begins."

"What could possibly determine the war's outcome before it even began?" Shikamaru asked. Of course there were multiple reasons the war could be lost, but from what Shikamaru understood they all involved a lack of cooperation between the nations.

Suddenly it all made sense. That was why they were all there, meeting in a secret location _outside_ of the village. It was about cooperation, or lack thereof.

"Something is happening in the village that no one knows about." Shikamaru said.

"Impressive." The commander said with a nod of approval which caused Shikamaru to blush slightly.

"That's Shikamaru for you, sharp as ever." Naruto said with a grin. "I knew picking you would be a good idea."

"So what's going on exactly, Naruto-taichou?" Sai asked. It was what everyone else wanted to know.

Naruto's grin faded to seriousness once again. "The Hyuugas are planning a coup. More specifically, the Branch Members are planning to overthrow Hin- Hiashi and his family." It was hard not to say 'Hinata and her family', but Naruto knew that if he wanted to sound professional and gain everyone's full trust he would have to make it sound like it wasn't personal.

The surprise was evident on Shino and Shikamaru's faces. The Anbu members were already aware but Sai showed no signs of surprise whatsoever.

"You already knew?" Shikamaru asked.

"I was suspicious of what was going on once Hiashi began pushing for Naruto to stay away from his family. So I had some of my subordinates look into it." Sai replied.

"And by subordinates you mean Root." Hare said abrasively.

"Correct." Sai said.

"You should be executed for that confession, traitor!" Hare said angrily.

"For what? Admitting that I was looking into a potential internal problem for the village? For trying to protect my village before harm ever came to it?" Sai asked with more emotion than any of them were used to. "I may be many things, but a traitor is not one of them. Do not be angry at me just because I saw this coming before you did."

"Are you questioning our competence?" Hare asked bristling.

"No, but while we're on the subject, Fluffy, I do find the Anbu…lacking nowadays."

"Fluffy?" Hare asked incredulously. "Why you pale, smart-assed, bast-"

"-Enough!"

Everyone stopped and stared at the commander.

"Dissention among us will not get us anywhere and most certainly not get us any closer to stopping this shit storm before it happens." The commander said looking between Sai and Hare before everyone else.

Naruto nodded. "He's right, we need to set aside our differences and work together on this if we want to be successful." He then grinned. "Which means you should probably apologize to Hare for saying he sucks."

Sai stared at Naruto for a long moment before nodding. He turned to Hare and plastered on a smile. "I'm sorry for bringing your competency into question, Fluffy. It's not your fault that you're lacking in some areas."

The commander couldn't help but feel a sweat drop run down his head as he muttered to Naruto, "That's as good as it's gonna get, isn't it?"

"Pretty much." Naruto said shaking his head.

"I'm not going to be called Fluffy during this!" Hare said clenching his fists. "I worked too damn hard to be called that!"

"I don't know, I kinda like it." Naruto said with a chuckle.

"I don't care what you like or don't like!" Hare shouted, waving his arms. "I'm not gonna be called that!"

"Quiet Hare!" The commander ordered causing the Anbu to go board stiff in a split second. "You will treat Uzumaki-taichou with respect and respond to whatever he decides to call you!"

"Yes, Commander." Hare said dejectedly.

Shino cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and got back to the important topic. "It's clear that Shikamaru was picked for his strategic abilities." Shino said. "What purpose do the rest of us serve?"

Naruto's grin faded to seriousness once again. "The Commander, Boar, Hare, and whoever else is deemed trustworthy enough will be in charge of rounding up the Hyuugas that are in the Anbu." Naruto turned to the commander. "I can't stress how important it is that no one finds out what you are doing. Take however long you need, as long as they don't catch on to what you are doing."

"Understood, taichou." The commander said with a quick nod.

"If I could make a suggestion?" Shikamaru asked gaining everyone's attention.

"Go ahead Shikamaru, that's why I picked you." Naruto said with a nod.

"Commander, I have a strategy that might work." Shikamaru said turning to the commander.

"Let's hear it."

"Unless on a solo mission, Anbu operatives work in three man groups at the least normally, correct?"

"Correct."

"What if you ordered long term missions away from the village to all the Hyuuga members under your command?" Shikamaru asked. "You could send them out of the village with their normal three man group and once they've gone so far you can confront and arrest them with a larger force."

The commander rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. "It's a sound plan, I'll admit. Being away from the village ensures that the arrests could happen without witnesses and if fighting did occur it would be out of the village and away from innocents." He then folded his arms. "How could I send all of my Hyuuga members away without drawing suspicion to the rebels though?"

"That's the easiest part." Shikamaru said with a smirk. "Use the war as a cover. Tell them that you need all the Hyuugas at your disposal for reconnaissance missions."

Even though Shikamaru couldn't see it he could tell that the commander was smirking underneath his mask, and he was. The commander nodded his head in approval and then looked to Naruto. "Uzumaki-taichou, I approve of this plan. What are your final orders?"

Naruto took a deep breath and looked at Shikamaru. This had to go right with absolutely _zero_ fuck ups. If the Branch Members so much as caught wind of what they were up too, Hinata and her family would be in a life threatening situation. It all came down to whether or not Naruto could trust Shikamaru's plan.

"_Who am I kidding; I couldn't possibly come up with anything better."_ Naruto thought. Shikamaru gave Naruto the same raised eyebrow he had given Tsunade just a few hours earlier: the 'do you trust me?' look. Turning towards the commander Naruto gave his final say.

"Commander, Operation: Spring Cleaning has officially begun. Stick to Shikamaru's plan and if anything comes up I expect you to handle it. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The commander said with a short bow. Turning to Boar and Hare he then said, "Let's get moving, we have some trash to take out!"

The three Anbu turned and left the cave leaving the three other juniors to themselves. They were all quiet for a moment before Shino turned to Naruto.

"Naruto-"

"-I haven't forgotten about you Shino." Naruto said with a smirk.

"You misunderstand." Shino said emotionlessly. "It's evident that you haven't forgotten about me…thank you…for including me in on this important mission."

To say Naruto was shocked would have been an understatement. In fact, Shikamaru and Sai, to an extent, were both as shocked as well by Shino's confession. The silence that fell between them, while still comfortable, was now slightly stifling with a subtle awkward feeling in the air. A cough from Sai, however, broke the silence long enough for Naruto to recover.

"There's no way I could forget about you Shino." Naruto said quietly with a kind smile. "You're too damn good at what you do to not be included in this."

"And what would that be, taichou?" Shino asked, genuinely curious.

"Why, going around unnoticed, of course." Naruto said with a teasing smirk. Shikamaru had to stifle a chuckle and Sai actually cracked a small legitimate smile.

"Naruto?" Shino asked.

"Yes?"

"That was fucked up."

The room was filled with laughter as all three of them lost it. It was the laugh of three, young, nervous men who were completely in over their heads. They knew they would have to rely on each other if this plan was going to work, and that wasn't what was subconsciously putting them on edge. It was a single blindingly painful fact: the fact that if they screwed this up, the entire world would most likely end because of them. It was sobering, but maddeningly hilarious at the same time.

**And that's a wrap! Long chapter I know but you all deserve it after the wait I made you guys go through. Again, I am sorry for that. Now please, I know it's asking more than I deserve, write down a few words and tell me what you think. If anything about this different writing style I've tried out. I'll see you in a week or two…hopefully! Bwahaha!**


	25. The Hollow Fist

**A/N: Back again, sorry it's been awhile. Making a habit out of it I know. Just been busy getting moved into the new apartment and getting settled in for school. Anyways, what a response! You guys really loved this bad ass version of Naruto and the gang huh? Good, because it's only gonna get better! This chapter gets away from Naruto and the group only so I can touch on everyone else before I get back to them. Sucks I know, but it's necessary. So thanks for the response guys, the review were great and I look forward to seeing what you guys think of this chapter!**

Last Time: Naruto was given a message to deliver to Tsunade, in the process he was stopped by a Branch member and was forced to use a Space/Time jutsu. It worked but nearly killed him in the process. So close to death, Naruto had a chance to speak to Kuruma in which another argument erupted. After Naruto left, another voice called out to Kuruma telling him that it knew his secret and in due time it would reveal itself. When Naruto awoke he found himself in the Hokage's office with Tsunade waiting on him. When he did, he delivered the message to Tsunade detailing the attempted coup by the Hyuugas. At the same time, an Anbu operative revealed himself and tried to escape but was stopped. Afterwards, Naruto realized that Tsunade was overburdened with things going on the village and decided to step in. He took charge of the operation to route the Hyuugas and was given full command of Anbu and his choice to pull from the regular ranks. His choices were Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino. After meeting in a safe house, Naruto explained the situation to everyone.

**Chapter 24: The Hollow Fist**

Sai rubbed his eyes and looked at the alarm clock next to him. He had spent what felt like hours in their cave safe house and as it turned out, he had. The clock read 4 a.m. and he groaned quietly to himself and rubbed his eyes again. It was impossible to tell what time it was by looking outside because, well, it was a cave after all.

Standing up, he walked across the dimly lit cave to an area that had a full kitchen and dining room along the back wall. He found a tea pot and set it on the stove burner after filling it and searched the cupboards for tea. Finding a white unmarked box, he pulled it out and opened it.

"_Jackpot."_ He thought with a smirk.

The box had turned out to have a black and green tea leaf mix with ginseng extract. How did he know? Because he made the mistake of drinking two cups of the stuff before a mission once and had spent the next day and a half wired, jittery, and energetic. To put it simply, the shit worked and his teammates got to sleep all night.

Starting the burner, Sai walked back to his desk and looked at the papers one last time. It was chaos. There was a layer of profiles over the top of the desk itself and mountains rose up on the sides. Small stacks were dispersed around the rest of the space but in the center there was a clear space with three profiles neatly lined up. 'The Chosen Three' he liked to call them. They were the best of the best, the elite among the elites, and the ones he decided would help lead the route against the Hyuuga's.

He slid the three profiles together and walked over to the table in the center of the room that now had a massive map of Konoha laid. After a brief moment of thought, Sai placed the profiles around the map in seemingly random places. Taking a step back he gave the setup a critical eye before sighing in relief. When he turned back to the desk a groan escaped his lips as he was met with a clusterfuck of profiles.

"_Three down, one hundred and ninety-seven to go."_

Sai glanced tiredly at the beds along the wall and could practically hear them calling to him, beckoning him to seek relief and rest among the warm sheets. For a long moment Sai stared at them longingly, but then he shook his tired head of the idea. Turning his back to the comfort of sleep, his exhausted mind wandered to the conversation he had earlier with Naruto.

(Flashback)

Sai and Naruto were the only ones left in the cave now. Shikamaru and Shino had left, both going about their respective missions. Shikamarau went home to think more on strategies for the upcoming silent war, and Shino to his clan compound so he could properly prepare his hive for their upcoming mission.

Shino had the most important job out of all of them. He was to tag each Branch Member who was participating in the revolt with one of his Kikiachu. For such a task, Shino stated that he would need time to gather the correct beetles that had particularly long stamina. This way the beetles could go for long durations before needing to feed. It meant that during the day the bugs could watch, listen, and gather intel and at night feed on the Branch Members chakra while they slept.

"So, what were you wanting to tell me that you couldn't in front of the others, Naruto-taichou?" Sai asked.

"Seriously, Sai. Quit that." Naruto said with a pointed look.

"Fine." Sai said with a relenting shrug. "What did you need to tell me privately, Naruto?"

Naruto looked around for a moment and then looked at his pale teammate seriously. "I want you to head the Hunter Nins for this operation."

Sai's face contorted slightly in confusion. "Why? Wouldn't the Anbu-"

"-The Anbu will still be watched." Naruto said shaking his head. "Even if it's not from inside, they'll still be under surveillance."

"If not them then who?" Sai asked.

Naruto paused. "Do you trust me?"

"With my life." Sai said immediately which surprised him at how quickly he responded. It must have shown on his face because Naruto chuckled.

"Same here." The blonde said with a smile. "Which is why I think we should use Root."

Sai's eyebrows climbed all the way up his forehead in disbelief. "You want to use Root?" Naruto nodded his head but said nothing. "You realize that we could get in major trouble for doing this?"

"I know the risks." Naruto said reluctantly. "But we need something that can't be tracked. Something that doesn't exist. A ghost." Squaring his shoulders he looked at Sai with conviction. "Root is just what we need because they were literally designed for this kind of situation."

"And you're trusting me to lead this operation?"

Naruto stepped forward and placed a hand on Sai's shoulder. He stared intensely into the coal black eyes of his friend with a mixture of apprehension, fear, and worry. "Sai…" he started but had to stop and look away for a moment. "The person I care about more than anything in this world is in danger. She is living in a household that is ready to explode into a civil war at any moment."

Releasing Sai from his grip Naruto met his friend's eyes again. "I can't lose her Sai. She is everything to me. If something happened to her…" he looked away unable to finish the sentence. But his thoughts finished it for him and he felt his heart beat quicken. He felt his chest tighten and his throat started to constrict making it hard to breathe. He couldn't lose her. Not now. Not after finally realizing what she truly meant to him.

"You love her don't you." Sai said breaking the silence. Naruto looked at Sai with a vulnerability the pale boy hadn't seen since Jiraiya's death.

"I…" Naruto started but stopped as he had to take a shaky breath. "I do love her." He whispered. Leaning against the table for support, his knuckles turned white as he balled them into fists. "I just finally realized what I've had all along….and I've been too blind to see it. I can't lose her Sai…I just…I just can't…"

Sai stood there listening to his teammate's confession in silence. He didn't understand emotions very well; he was still trying to relearn them. But he could tell that this mission was more than just important to Naruto. His entire mental well being was riding on Hinata coming out safe. Sai understood that much, and he'd be damned if he let his friend and teammate down.

"Don't worry Naruto," Sai said with determination, "I'll get it done. I won't let you down."

Naruto let out a relieved breath he didn't realize he was holding and smiled. "Thanks, I know you won't."

(End Flashback)

Sai stared at the stacks before him that sat patiently on his desk. His eyes slowly rolled over the profiles and he was suddenly hit with a wave of crushing pressure. It bore down on him and he felt his knees begin to weaken. So much was riding on this mission and even more was riding on him to get it done.

The whistling of the teapot tore his attention away from the desk and with it the sudden weight he had felt. Walking over to pour himself a glass of tea, Sai realized something. His village was in danger and thousands of lives were depending on him to protect them. But none of that mattered to him. No, the only thing that mattered to Sai was that he didn't let his friend down.

Taking a giant swig of his tea, Sai sat down and stared hard at the papers before him.

"I won't let you down," he muttered. "I promise."

* * *

><p>"Will you please let me down?"<p>

Naruto's breathing was ragged and strained. Sweat poured from him and ran down his body in small rivers. His muscles ached but his chakra coils were burning as if he had lava pumping through them. His skull was pounding with a massive headache that he was sure was due to chakra exhaustion.

"Five more minutes." Renge responded unsympathetically.

Naruto let out a string of curses and gritted his teeth with his eyes screwed closed. Why was he doing this again? Why did he ever agree to take up the Uzumaki mantel from his great grandparents? Why the _fuck_ did he ever think that learning how to used chakra chains sounded cool?

Naruto was suspended high in the air in a large room that was part of their temporary base. Arms and legs stretched out wide, faint, blue, ethereous chains extended from his hands, feet, chest, and back. The chains stretched out and anchored him to the walls surrounding him, almost causing him to look like he was an insect trapped in a spider's web.

Renge had tried to teach him how to refine his chakra control, but she realized quickly that she would have to explain to Naruto why first. She had told him that the chakra control he had, while impressive, was not real control. When Naruto had given her a confused look she explained it by comparing his chakra control to muscle memory. She explained that while Naruto could perform many outstanding jutsus, he could perform only _those_ jutsus perfectly. Anything else would be a mess and a waste of chakra. It was only because Naruto had spent thousands of hours perfecting the jutsus he had that he could perform them without wasting chakra. If, she explained, he had to attempt something else on the fly he had never tried before then he would most likely exert far too much chakra. However, if he were to have perfect control over his chakra then he would be able to perform near perfect jutsus the first time he tried all because he would be in tune with it.

Thus ended the lecture and the real fun had begun.

They had tried sand first. Renge explained that if Naruto could perfectly control the sand in his hands to stack on top of each other in his palms and down each finger then he would slowly begin to gain better chakra control. At first the training had gone great. Naruto was able to do as she instructed and he was able to keep the sand in his hand perfectly. However, that all changed when she instructed him to make each finger hold a different level of sand. The training blew up in his face. Literally.

After the tenth time of sand being blown into his eyes, and the fifth tantrum, Renge had a sneaking suspicion that something was wrong with Naruto's chakra. She decided to take a different approach. Telling Naruto to level the sand in his hands again, she then told him to cut the chakra flow to his ring fingers and allow the sand to slip off. What followed left Naruto confused and Renge frowning even deeper.

All of the sand in his hands slipped away leaving bare dusty palms.

"W-What's wrong with me?" Naruto had asked, scared that his chakra was screwed up.

Renge had ignored the question and instructed him to do the same thing except this time cut off the chakra flow to his thumbs and pointer fingers. The end result was the same.

"You have Palmar Tenketsu Fusion." Renge said after a moment as she folded her arms. "Which means that you also have Corpus Tenketsu Fusion."

"I have what?!" Naruto shouted. "Oh god, what does that mean?!" he asked as he started to panic.

"Calm down, idiot! It just means that the tenketsu points that run through your fingers are fused together. You don't have independent control over each of them. Instead, they work in unison together." Renge had explained.

"So what does that mean?"

"It means that this type of chakra training won't work." Renge said as she walked away and began to observe the room. Then a grin broke out across her face and she said, "It also appears that you inherited more from your mother than just her attitude."

"Huh?" Naruto had asked intelligently.

Renge hadn't replied. Instead, she held out her palm and a bright white chain erupted from her hand and blasted Naruto in the chest. Before he could even move to get up, she had it wrapped around him, binding him tightly on the floor. "It means that you have the ability to use the Uzumaki's rare and famous chakra chains."

And so began the second lecture of the evening. Renge explained that only Uzumakis who had developed a defective chakra network could utilize the chakra chains. She then explained how instead of having 361 individual tenketsus, he had 21 different tenketsu groups. Each of these groups had the ability to produce one chakra chain therefore giving him a total of 21 chains to develop and work with. Surprisingly though, Naruto had soaked it all up. Renge only had to explain it once except for at the end when she had to describe how the final chain was produced.

On his first attempt, Naruto managed to create a nearly invisible chain a couple of links long before it shattered. However, he was so excited about nearly getting the jutsu right the first time that he attacked the training with vigor. An hour later he managed to create one blue chain however long he wanted.

His ego quickly became just as long, boasting about how he must be some kind of Uzumaki prodigy. Renge quickly righted the blonde by informing him that an Uzumaki prodigy in the use of chakra chains would be able to use six chains at once.

Ego deflated, and pride eroded, Naruto moped around until he managed four chains. When he finally had, Renge had directed him to lift himself up into the air. And so that was how Naruto found himself; sweating, exhausted, and hating his life.

"Time." Renge said.

Naruto didn't even try to gentle let himself down. Instead, he opted for the release and hit the ground like a dead fish approach.

"Still wish you were training with me?" Renge asked with a smirk as she walked up to Naruto. Said person didn't even bother to respond. Instead, he simply groaned into the ground earning him a kick in the side from the elder Uzumaki. "Quit being baby. Go to bed and rest up, we'll be back at it in five hours. You're sleeping time starts now."

"Can't I get a shower first?" Naruto asked as he forced himself to stand up.

"4:59:59. 4:59:58. 4:59:57…"

Naruto glared at the aged woman before wheeling around and exiting the large room. His body screamed at him with ever movement he made. Every breath was labored and taxing. Despite all this though, Naruto couldn't help the grin that broke out across his face.

He was getting stronger. He could feel it.

* * *

><p>"You're strength is growing by leaps and bounds, Sasuke-kun."<p>

Sasuke turned his crimson eyes towards the pink medic that had just spoken to him. As he did, a victorious grin started to spread across his face.

"Even I could have told you that." He stated arrogantly.

Sakura rolled her eyes and gave him a look. "Oh really?" she asked with her hands on her hips. "How much?"

Sasuke wasn't prepared for the quick remark, so he responded with the most intelligent thing he could come up with in the short amount of time. "A lot."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds before Sakura frowned and started scribbling on her clipboard.

"Hm, how interesting." The pinkette muttered.

Sasuke tried to ignore the comment but finally his curiosity got the best of him. "What is?"

"There seems to be a direct correlation between your power and intelligence." Sakura explained as she stopped and looked at him. "As your power goes up, you're intelligence goes down."

A pin drop could have been heard in the room as the two stared at each other. Well, more like Sakura stared impassively and Sasuke glared at her. Finally, Sakura broke the stare and turned around to write some more notes but only because she didn't want Sasuke to see her laughing at him. She failed to stifle her giggles.

Sasuke gave her another glare. "Damn banshee."

Sakura whirled around and gave him a melting stare. "Arrogant prick."

The two glared intensely at each other and began to step towards each other.

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

"Slut."

"Bastard."

The two's faces were now inches away from each other as electricity practically jumped from their eyes. The pressure in the room had increased and the temperature had dropped.

Unstoppable force, meet unmovable object.

"Civilian no name." Sasuke whispered.

"Clan orphan." Sakura fired right back.

Sasuke's face contorted into rage for a brief moment before he managed to cover it back up with his scowl.

"Fuck you." He growled out.

"You wish." Sakura said with smirk.

Sasuke visibly recoiled and stared incredulously at the woman across from him. He opened his mouth to say something but then shut it.

"Well, well," Sakura practically purred as she stepped up and pressed against his body. "The great Uchiha Sasuke is at a loss for words." Her voice came out in a husky whisper and Sasuke had to suppress the shiver that ran down his spine. There was a mischievous yet playful look in her eyes and a grin was steadily spreading across her soft pink lips.

Sasuke stood there frozen for a brief moment before his eyes narrowed and he took a step back. "I'll see you for dinner." He growled out and spun around to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sakura asked.

"To take a long, _long_ cold shower." Sasuke snapped as he closed the door behind him. Sakura stood in the room alone before a giggle escaped her lips and she started cleaning up the medical supplies.

Haruno Sakura: 1, Uchiha Sasuke: 0.

* * *

><p>Hinata stood with her sister and cousin in an open field that was located in a remote section of the Hyuuga compound. The open field was surrounded by tall evergreens, towering multiple stories tall and spreading out meters wide to form a nearly perfect wall of green. It was the private practicing field for the clan head, reserved and seen only by the current leader and the heir.<p>

Hinata looked over at her siblings. Her sister was fidgeting nervously in her spot, excited and nervous at the same time. Neji was a different story though. He stood there impassively, patiently waiting for Hiashi to arrive but Hinata knew better. He was uncomfortable. She could see it in his eyes. The slightest squint in the corners signifying that he was just as nervous as her sister. It caused Hinata to giggle and both turned to look at her.

"What's so funny, nee-chan?" Hanabi demanded.

Hinata gave a warm smile. "The both of you are so nervous." She explained with another giggle. "You need to relax, there's no reason to act the way you are. Everything is fine."

"Who says I'm nervous?" Hanabi huffed crossing her arms.

"The nonexistent grass beneath your feet from your constant shuffling." Neji observed dryly.

Hanabi looked down at the dirt scuff marks where grass used to grow and blushed. "Well what about you?" Hanabi asked. "You're so tense that your back could be used as an ironing board."

"It's called posture." Neji countered.

"It's called having a bamboo stalk shoved up your-"

"-Hanabi!" Hinata interrupted.

"I'm just saying that if he stands up any straighter his spine is going to fuse together like that." Hanabi defended.

"I think you're forgetting your place you little brat." Neji said rounding on Hanabi. "Perhaps you'd like a reminder, shrimp?"

Hinata sighed as she mentally counted down. _"Three, two, one…"_

"I'M NOT SHORT I JUST HAVEN'T HIT PUBERTY YET!" Hanabi shouted indignantly. It was a sore subject for her. All the other girls in her class had already begun to grow and develop into young woman and yet she stayed short and flat as a board. Hinata had even caught Hanabi in her room once, wearing one of her bras and staring longingly into the mirror.

Neji scoffed. "Mememememememe." He said in a high pitched voice as he opened and closed his hand like a mouth. He held it down low and the insinuation was conveyed. It was childish and completely out of character for him compared to what everyone else knew but it did the job. Hanabi turned red with anger.

"I don't sound like that!"

Neji bent down and held his hand to his ear. "What's that? I can't hear you down there."

That was the last straw and before either Hinata or Neji could act, Hanabi had reach out and grabbed a handful of Neji's soft flowing hair.

"Allow me to bring you down to my level then!" she shouted. She gave a yank and Neji tumbled forward with a yelp.

"You little brat! How dare you touch my hair!" Neji shouted as he grabbed a handful of Hanabi's hair and began to tug on it.

"Ouch! Stop pulling my hair you bully!"

"Ah! You started it you little brat!"

"No you did! Owowowowo!"

Neji finally managed to get his hair free and put Hanabi in a head lock. He then proceeded to rub his knuckles on her head. Hanabi responded in kind by stomping down on his foot and then reaching up and ungraciously twisting the hell out of his nipple. He gave a yelp of pain and they both fell. Rolling over each other, they grappled around on the ground to inflict whatever childish pain they could on one another.

It was uncivilized. It was unsightly. It was hilarious.

After about a minute of their behavior Hinata finally decided to intervene. "Neji-niisan, Hanabi-chan, that's enough. Father will be here soon." The two continued to ignore her as the shouted ridiculous things at each other. "Will you two please stop!" Hinata asked.

Now there was a secret about Hinata only the immediate three knew about. Hinata absolutely hated being ignored. Among adults and higher ranks it was understandable. Among her peers it was acceptable. With her family, it was forgivable. But between the three of them, it was suicidal to ignore the Hyuuga heiress.

"ENOUGH!" Hinata roared with a red face.

Hanabi and Neji both froze and looked up at the heiress terrified. Hanabi's little hands wrapped around Neji's throat, while the latter's fingers were hooked in her lips and pulling them apart.

"Get off of each other, stand up, and make yourselves presentable for our father!" Hinata ordered sternly with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, Hinata." The two of them of them said in defeated tones as the slowly stood up.

"Honestly, you two can be so embarrassing sometimes." Hinata chided as she shook her head. "Father would never believe his eyes if he saw you acting the way you were."

"No, I wouldn't."

All three of them froze at the sound of the cool commanding voice. Hinata slowly turned around to see her father standing before her with an amused smirk on his face.

"F-Father." Hinata stuttered out as she bowed her head. "I'm so sorry you had t-to see that."

"It's quite alright Hinata." Hiashi said with a smile. That comment came as a surprise for all of them. "It's nice to see that the clan heir can be dominative when she needs to be." Hinata blushed and nodded slightly with a smile. "Although I do feel sorry for him." Hiashi added thoughtfully as his smile vanished.

"E-Excuse me?" Hinata asked confused.

Hiashi seemed to suddenly take notice of his daughter standing in front of him. "Oh, I mean Naruto. The poor boy has no idea what he's getting into."

Hinata's face went red as a tomato in an instant and she began to sputter. "F-F-Fa-th-th-ther!"

Behind her both Hanabi and Neji were doing a poor job of hiding their snickers. Hinata turned around and gave them a look and they both straightened up and fell silent.

"Well, let's start this before Hinata dies of embarrassment." Hiashi said with another smirk. This got the attention of the three. "Now pay attention because I'm only going to explain this once."

Hiashi took a seat in the grass and motioned for the others to do as well. Once they were seated and ready Hiashi began.

"The Hollow Fist is the precursor to what is now known as the Gentle Fist." He explained. "Before the clan joined the village, and before there were two separate branches, our ancestors used this fighting style. It is more brutal, it is more devastating, and it is much more lethal." He paused for a moment to let what he said sink in.

"Now, let's start with how the Hollow Fist actually works. Byakugans on." Hiashi ordered as he held up his hand. The children followed the instructions and watched intently as Hiashi focused. "Now, what can you tell me about this technique?"

"There's an excess of chakra that is around the hand." Hanabi supplied.

"There seems to be a higher concentration down towards your wrist." Neji added.

"Correct, but there's one key aspect that you seem to be missing." Hiashi said. He turned to Hinata who seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Th-The center of your palm is e-empty." Hinata said softly.

Hiashi nodded. "Go on."

"I-It's like the ch-chakra in your palm is forming a deformed sh-shell." Hinata further explained. "The chakra at the t-tip of your palm is th-thin but at the back end i-its thicker."

"Exactly, well said Hinata." Haishi said with a smile causing his daughter to blush. He stood up and walked over to a training log. "Observe."

In one quick movement Hiashi brought his palm forward and struck the log. Even from where the children sat they could feel the shutter and sheer power exerted by the clan head.

"Wow, dad that was really strong!" Hanabi said excitedly as she stood up.

Hiashi nodded his head. "Yes, but can you see what the Hollow Fist did?"

Hinata focused on the log more and then gasped. Quickly she stood up and made her way over to the log. Deactivating her eyes, Hinata examined the outside of the log carefully. It was perfect, as if no one had even struck it. There were no dents, no cracks, not even a scuff mark. But the inside was a different story.

Hinata struck the log and it gave way instantly, as if it had only been a sheet of paper. As soon as her hand broke through saw dust began to poor out of the log. The entire thing was nearly hollow! Hanabi and Neji joined her and peered inside the log as well. While they did, Hinata looked at her father in confusion.

He returned the look with a grim face. "This technique is the worst of the worst when it comes to taijutsu." Motioning for them to return and take a seat he continued. "When there were no villages and clans still ruled the lands, the Hyuugas were at a certain disadvantage. The Byakugan was not nearly as superior as what it is today."

That caught them all by surprise. How could such a thing exist? This was the Byakugan. The All Seeing Eye. How could an inferior form ever be?

"Surprising I know, but it's the truth." Hiashi said. "The Byakugan then was in no way comparable to what it is now. There were only certain materials that it could see through such as bamboo and mud bricks and the degree of vision could only ever reach a maximum range of 180 degrees. Because of these limitations, the Hollow Fist was created."

Holding up his palm again, Hiashi continued. "The Hollow Fist was created to inflict maximum damage to a large area with only one strike." He explained. "It works exactly how Hinata described it. There is a shell of chakra that is formed in the palm. The side the palm faces has a thinner wall of chakra while the backside that forms in the wrist has a thicker wall. The center remains hollow which is how the style received its name. However, the components of the chakra itself are different. Look at the chakra again, how is the composition made up?"

"It would appear the chakra that forms the front side is less concentrated, or rather, softer compared to the back wall which is denser and therefore harder." Neji observed.

"Correct." Hiashi said with a nod.

"So how does it work?" Hanabi asked.

Hiashi reached into his robes and pulled out an empty juice can. Resting it in his hand, he suddenly applied chakra to it, causing the can to fill rapidly and the sides expanded. When he was done, the can was in an almost oval shape. Setting it on the ground he then put his hand on top of it.

"Think of this can as the chakra in my palm. As I exert force onto the can, it collapses." As he said this he slowly crushed the can. "But notice how as the sides collapse, they push out. This is what causes the technique to be so deadly."

Hiashi lifted the can and held it up for the students to see. "See how this can almost resembles a mushroom?" They nodded intently. "This is the cause for the destructive power."

The clan head pulled out another can and crushed it on the ground. "The destructive force of the chakra is very linear and contained if compressed like this." He held up the can and allowed them to see how it was perfectly crushed in a straight line. "If this entered a body, while damaging and lethal it lacks the destructive radius to completely destroy everything. Now compare it to the can that looks like a mushroom. While linear, it also spreads out to the sides, thus increasing the radius of damage."

Hiashi paused and looked at all three of the children before him. "Do you understand how it works?" They all nodded. "Can anyone tell me the drawbacks to using this technique?"

"It requires a s-substantial amount of chakra to use each t-time." Hinata answered.

"Exactly." Hiashi said with a nod. "When our ancestors first started using this technique they could only fight full go for roughly ten minutes before they neared chakra exhaustion."

"Then how could that be effective in a full scale battle?" Hanabi asked.

"That was then, this is now." Neji answered. "Our Byakugans have become far more advanced and have a higher degree of vision. I would say it's safe to assume that our chakra reserves have increased naturally over time with the use of this technique."

"Correct." Hiashi said. "Just like our eyes, over time and continuous use our chakra reserves adapted. Further down the line our ancestors were capable of going for upwards of an hour in battle while using this technique."

"What about now?" Hinata asked softly.

"I can use this technique for roughly two hours before I have to deactivate my eyes. I can then go for another thirty minutes before I must stop." Hiashi answered. "That is the best thing about this technique though, it is unnecessary to have your eyes activated while you use the Hollow Fist. No matter where you strike, the damage will be irreparable. You can deactivate your Byakugan to conserve chakra and always be dealing lethal blows."

"Now then," Hiashi said as he stood up and dusted himself off, "let us begin the training. I have a limited amount of time to prepare you for what's to come and we need to make the most of it."

Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi looked at each other and then nodded. As they stood, they each had a look of hard determination fixed on their faces.

They would learn to honor their ancestors. They would learn to defend the village. But most importantly, they would learn to protect each other.

* * *

><p>Tsunade sat in her chair and stared out over village. The afternoon sun shone brightly and warmed the cool autumn air that threatened to chill if allowed to. Her window was opened and a breeze blew through causing the Hokage to close her eyes and take a deep instinctive breath. She reveled in the short break she had from meetings and paper work and tried to relax before it all started again.<p>

"Always did love autumn here in Fire Country."

Tsunade started and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she looked to her side to see Jihibiki staring out over the village next to her.

He looked up at her with a toothy cracked grin. "Whirlpool was great, but something about the leaves changing and the smells just get to me."

"You old coot!" Tsunade shouted after her initial shock. She bashed him over the head. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Jihibiki slowly picked himself up off the ground and rubbed his head. "Tsunade-chan, why?"

"Because you're a decrepit pervert." Tsunade answered.

"Touché." Jihibiki relented as he righted himself.

"What are you doing here? I know you wouldn't come visit me without a reason." Tsunade asked.

"The pain! You really don't think I'd come see you just because I could?" Jihibiki asked in mock hurt. Tsunade gave him a dry look and the old Uzumaki dropped the act. "I actually came with a request." He reached into his pocket and produced a slip of paper which he handed to Tsunade.

Tsunade read the paper and her eyebrows climbed. "You knew these were here?"

"I'm an Uzumaki." Jihibiki pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

It technically was.

"I didn't think they existed anymore." Tsunade said honestly. "I thought we lost them."

"Nope, just hidden away in one of your scrolls. It wasn't easy but I managed to…procure the information necessary to find them."

Tsunade gave Jihibiki a suspicious look and Jihibiki just returned her gaze impassively. Eventually she broke eye contact and sighed. "I'll dig them up myself and get them to you."

"Good girl." Jihibiki said with a toothy smile as he rustled her hair earning him a scowl and a smack on the head.

He evaded and hopped across the room quickly with surprising agility for his age. He opened the door and said, "I'll be back in an hour. I want them by then or I'll go get them myself." He gave her a wink and then quickly closed the door as a stamp smashed into the wall where his head had just been.

Tsunade relaxed and looked at the slip one more time. She memorized the numbers and then burned the paper in her hand. Letting out a sigh, she left the office and made her way down the stairs. She seemingly wandered the halls, maneuvering around the assistants and workers until she finally found herself at the bottom level of the building. Opening the last door, she entered the tall room and stopped short. Tilting her head up, she met the towering ominous gaze of the giant steel reinforced door of Konohagakure's Vault.

Konoha's darkest secrets, most important intel, and most valuable tools resided behind the three ton vault door.

Tools like the ones Jihibiki was asking for.

Tools that were ancient relics of an old world.

Tools of an old and long forgotten tradition.

"Damn brat's gonna be the death of me."

**And that's a wrap. Feels a little short I know but hey, it's not about Naruto so it didn't really need to be. I hope the explanation for how the Hollow Fist works was clear. If not then let me put it like this: the Hollow Fist works just like a hollow point bullet. When it hits it's target, the bullet collapses and expands giving it a larger area of damage. Also, I'll say it right now. It is in my opinion (and I'm sticking to this because I **_**have**_** looked into it) that Naruto does not have perfect chakra control. It is my belief that he simply has a muscle memory of how much chakra to use for each jutsu. A perfect example was when he learned how to use Senjutsu. Fukasaku had to repeatedly smack Naruto with a staff until he figured out the correct amount of Senjutsu to gather. Therefore, Naruto had to learn through muscle memory how to gather natural chakra. This is why I believe that Naruto can still use some chakra training. He's not exactly in tune with it. And if that argument isn't enough, how about this. I need it for the story so deal with it :p **

'**til next time. Read and Review!**


	26. Festival Preparations

**A/N: What's up guys? Miss me? I missed you! Back with another chappie, just for you guys! Hope you guys aren't mad with the wait, class 'n stuff. A little disappointed with the response to the last chapter but hey, I'll call it **_**just retribution**_** for making you wait…YEEEEEAAAAAHHHHH! Okay on a serious note now…**

**Cook563: **I'm glad you agree with the momentary switch in the plot, it had to be done. The training with Renge will be brutal and outlawed in the 5 elemental nations because it will be labeled as cruel and unusual…j/k…but seriously. Lol. I read the manga so I am aware of Tobi's true identity and as for what he'll do when Sakura goes to the meeting. Well, that's how I keep you coming back right?

**Bookwarnedbookworm: **Yep, that is exactly what I was shooting for and I have to admit, I laughed my ass off just writing the scene.

**Phongcae23:** Yes, the transformation will be there. Just have to wait

**Hell'sWorstWriter:** It'll be there, just give it time. A lot more will come out during the festival.

**Hektols:** Don't forget Sakura is a kunoichi. While feelings are there it doesn't necessarily mean that they are at the forefront of her mind. She still has a mission. And thanks, I'm glad you like the Hollow Fist.

Last Time: Naruto had begun his training in chakra control with Renge. Quickly afterwards they realized that Naruto in fact had a chakra defect, one that his mother possessed allowing her to use chakra chains. With that in mind, Renge began a new and brutal training regiment to bring out Naruto's fullest potential. Meanwhile, Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji began their training Hiashi in the art of the Hollow Fist –an ancient form of the Gentle Fist used by the first generation of Hyuugas. At the same time, Jihibiki asked Tsunade to gather some old tools from the Konohagakure vault, once that she didn't even know existed anymore.

**Chapter 25: Festival Preparations**

Neji's eyes narrowed as he scanned the documents in front of him. Nothing was making sense. Dates were overlapping one another, alibis were contradicting each other, and names and locations had been erased. It was almost as if whatever had happened was part of some big village secret.

The Hyuuga leaned back with a tired and frustrated sigh. He was getting nowhere. His mind drifted back to the conversation with Karin. He was trying to learn more about the red head but nothing from her story matched up with what was in the Konoha archives.

Leaning forward, Neji closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He tried to concentrate but he was finding it difficult to do. It had only been three days since Neji and the others started their training in the Hollow Fist, but in those three days Neji had never been more exhausted in his entire life. The training, if it even could be called that, was brutal and relentless. He almost pitied poor little Hanabi. The girl was still growing and yet she was expected to keep up with Neji and Hinata.

Hinata. Now that had been a surprise.

Hinata had taken to the Hollow Fist like a fish to water. She excelled in everything that Hiashi threw at them, and had become the standard that Neji and Hanabi were expected to reach. When asked why Hinata was able to grasp the technique so quickly the clan head shrugged.

"Perhaps it's because of similar training she has done previously."

Neji shook his head and refocused on the subject at hand. He could try and figure Hinata out some other time. His thoughts returned to the red head and the mystery wrapped around her.

Neji had his suspicions of Karin; he had seen it when he activated his Byakugan. But he needed hard evidence to prove it and finding the evidence was proving to be more difficult than it should have been. A frustrated growl escaped Neji's lips as he stared at the tampered documents. Proving Karin's heritage shouldn't be this difficult. It would have been easier if he could just get a sample of Karin's blood tested but for that to happen Neji would need a request form filled out. Something that would require either Tsunade or Shizune's signature, and Neji knew that neither of the two would give the okay. They wouldn't waste the village's money on a criminal, especially on one that was from a terrorist organization with the sole purpose of hunting down their favorite blonde jinchuriki.

Neji glanced up at the clock and froze. "Shit! I'm going to be late!"

A sense of dread washed of the Hyuuga as he quickly gathered his things and sprinted out the doors. He would figure out what to do with Karin when he had more time to think on it. Until then, they would both have to wait for answers. One was not simply late to Hyuuga Hiashi's lessons.

* * *

><p>Shino listened carefully to the conversation carrying on in front of him as he kept his eyes closed and meditated from his place on the couch. Across the dim room, Shikamaru, Sai, and the commander talked to one another in low voices as they motioned to the 3D map of Konoha sprawled out in front of them. Across the map, colored pins of orange, green, purple, and black could be seen spread all across the terrain, grouped together by their colors and set in seemingly strategic places.<p>

The groups of pins represented the platoons of Root operatives that would be participating in the operation. Sai had pulled through for them. In less than twenty-four hours the artist nin had managed to review two hundred profiles and place them in platoons in accordance to which area they would be most effective in as well as who they would work best with. The next two days were spent planning the operation.

The commander had been extremely skeptical when he first heard that they planned on using Root. But after Naruto explained the benefits of using the phantom group he was able to push past his own doubts and agree. It helped that Shikimaru vocally approved as soon as the plan left Naruto's lips. The Nara genius was more than willing to work with a group of highly trained individuals that would give them the element of surprise. Even if he wasn't entirely sure he could trust them either.

The three shinobi continued to discuss battle tactics quietly and point and motion in directions or certain areas when an audible grating was heard at the end of the room and their talking ceased. Shino opened his eyes and looked to where the sound had emanated from.

Naruto stood in the doorway, shirtless, sweat glistening down his body, and his shaggy hair threatening to cover his eyes. Even in the low light, Naruto's muscles could be seen rippling across his chest with every breath. The muscles on his arms and legs were like corded ropes, swollen from recent exertion and wound tightly in deadly coils. He looked bigger, stronger, if it were even possible, and carried about him an air of command that caused the room to fall into silence.

Naruto entered the room and headed straight for the fridge. Opening the door, he reveled in the blast of cold air that hit him before he grabbed a bottle of water and downed it. Reaching in, he grabbed another, and then turned to the four men in the room that were watching him silently. Taking another swig from his bottle, Naruto approached the table.

"Status report." He ordered.

"Taichou!" The commander reported snapping to attention. "Operation: Spring Cleaning is well under way and should be finished by the end of the week. So far we have managed to capture and subdue all Branch members that are under my command. Only a few Hyuuga teams remain and they are preparing to depart soon for recon missions just like the others."

"Any problems so far?"

"None so far." The Anbu commander said shaking his head. "However, I.D. is filling up quickly and they are having trouble finding open cells."

Naruto was quiet for a moment before he nodded. "We'll just have to trust them to figure it out. If they need help offer what you can to them, even if it means transferring some of the prisoners over to the Anbu holding cells."

"Understood."

"Shikamaru, Sai," Naruto said looking at the other two, "how are the plans progressing?"

"The platoons have been assembled and squad leaders have been assigned." Sai said motioning to the map. "Orange platoon will be lead by you, taichou. Green will be lead by Shikamaru, purple by Shino, and black by me."

"Orange platoon will be broken into five squads of ten men each. Green and Purple will have five squads of eleven men, and Black will have four squads of ten." Shikamaru explained. "An area will be assigned to each platoon and that area will be broken into five sectors, one for each squad." Shikamaru motioned to the map and pointed to the village center. There was a crude circle of orange string tied to pins that surrounded the entire thing. "Orange platoon's area will be the village center. This entire radius will be divided into five sectors, each one slightly overlapping the sectors adjacent to it to ensure that no one escapes."

Naruto placed his hands on the table and looked closer at the orange circle. He saw that it was divided by different colored smaller strings that made it look like a cut pie. Naruto nodded in understanding and let a small smile spread across his face. "Our objective?"

"Subdue and apprehend all Branch members." Shikamaru answered.

"What about the other platoons?"

"Green and Purple platoons will form containment on the outside of Orange." Shikamaru said as he pointed. "Green will take the southern end and Purple will take the northern. We'll be forming a semi-circular shell and meet each other in the middle, overlapping the middle ground of course."

"And Black platoon?"

"My platoon's area of operation will be the Hyuuga compound." Sai answered as he pointed to a small group of buildings at the edge of the map tied off with black string. "Each squad will approach from a different direction. I will lead my squad through the main gate at the north end. The other three squads will approach from the east, west and south ends."

Naruto stiffened slightly. "You're taking fewer men for this area?"

Sai nodded. "Stealth is key in this area. Fewer men mean fewer chances of being spotted." Naruto hesitated but nodded eventually. Sai saw the apprehension. "Besides, I have chosen the best to be in my platoon, it is unnecessary to have so many with me. In this instance, quality trumps quantity. Our objective is the apprehension of the Hyuuga elders as well as the skeleton crew of Branch members standing guard."

"I have enough men." Sai assured.

This seemed to placate Naruto and he nodded one last time in acceptance. "What about Anbu?"

"Anbu will be stationed in sectors one, three, and five of Orange as well as sectors two and four of both Purple and Green." The commander answered as he pointed to white pins in each sector. "We will provide backup if necessary and assist in containment."

Naruto was silent for a moment as his eyes slowly rolled over the map and he thought about the plan. The other members waited in silence to see what Naruto's final say would be. After a moment, a smile broke out across Naruto's face and a loud whistle escaped his lips.

"Ya know Shika, this might be your best work yet." The blonde praised. Shikamaru rolled his eyes but a small smile managed its way to his lips as well.

"Now," Naruto said clap his hands together and turning. "Last but certainly not least. Shino, status report."

"Taichou," Shino said with a nod and stood up and joined the men. "As of now, I have currently tagged four hundred eight-seven traitors."

A silence fell across the room.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered.

Shino nodded his head. "Indeed. My insects are still uncovering traitors each day. It will be some time before I have a definite number."

"Predictions?" Naruto asked.

Shino paused for a moment as he thought. "High hundreds, low thousand."

The silence returned once again but this time with heaviness.

"This is a tall order." The commander said to no one in particular. All eyes fell on Naruto.

The blonde continued to stare at the map, more particularly, the Hyuuga compound. He could feel the gazes of the men around him, and he could feel the pressure mounting. His eyes narrowed and he set his jaw as he looked up at Sai. "Have the men been briefed?"

"Yes, taichou." Sai answered nodding. "They have begun to memorize the plan and necessary preparations."

Naruto took his hands off the table and straightened up. "Are we sure about the date picked?"

The other men looked at each other and then Shikamaru spoke. "It's the best possible time to do it. Everyone will be gathered there allowing us to focus our efforts as well as not stand out."

"I know." Naruto said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes. "It's just that it's so far off."

"The men will need that time to train and prepare." Sai said.

Naruto's lips thinned and he nodded curtly.

"I understand your apprehension in waiting so long, taichou." The commander said empathetically. "The longer we wait, the more chances are that we could be discovered or something could go wrong. But," the commander paused as he motioned to Shikamaru and Sai, "they are correct in the time frame. This is the most optimal time to strike. We'll just have to bear the wait."

Naruto let out one final sigh and then nodded. "Alright then, the plan sounds solid. Let's proceed." The others in the room nodded and dispersed.

Naruto's eyes lingered on the map for a second longer but he turned away and walked to his bed. Kicking open the trunk, he grabbed a black shirt with the Uzumaki symbol in red on the back and threw it on. He then threw on his typical pants and made for the exit. As he did he was flanked by Sai and Shikamaru.

"Where are you headed, taichou?" Sai asked.

"All this super, secret, cool planning has worked up an appetite in me." Naruto said with a grin.

"Ichiraku's?" Shikamaru ventured.

"You know it!" Naruto said with a wink. "Wanna come?"

Sai nodded with a fake smile and the shadow user seemed to mull it over. "You buying?"

Naruto snorted and gave him a look like he grew a second head. "Yeah, sure."

"Naruto-taichou is most gracious. He certainly knows how to take care of his men." Sai said happily as they made for the exit.

"It's called sarcasm, Sai." Naruto said dryly as a sweat drop formed.

"What's that taste like?" Sai asked thoroughly confused. Naruto face palmed and Shikamaru snickered.

"It is expected of the leader to treat his subordinates to a meal for their hard work every once in awhile." Shino replied monotonously.

Naruto jumped and let out a yelp. "Damn it Shino! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"But I've been here the entire time, taichou."

Naruto paused for a moment before he shook his head and ran a hand down his face. "I swear you guys are gonna be the death of me."

"Maybe." Shikamaru said with a snicker.

"Highly unlikely." Shino replied.

"Sarcasm?" Sai questioned.

Naruto just sighed and trudged on towards his only slice of steam noodley heaven.

* * *

><p>"I would like to thank both of you for taking the time to travel here and fill me in on what I missed at the summit meeting." Tsunade said with a reserved smile. "Please extend my thanks to your Kages."<p>

"It was my pleasure, milady." Temari said with a smile and a respectful bow.

"It was no problem; I've always wanted to see the Leaf Village." Samui said with a bow as well.

Tsunade nodded at this. "Will you be leaving soon? I realize that information is important but the Fall Festival of Leaves is in less than three weeks. Perhaps I could persuade you ladies and your teams to stay for the event?"

The two women looked at each other.

"As Suna's liaison, I already planned on staying milady." Temari said with another bow. "I will be sending a messenger hawk to my brother to let him know that the information has been delivered."

Tsunade nodded her head and then raised an eyebrow at Samui.

"I…suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay…" Samui said uncertainly. She knew that the Raikage wanted her and her team back as soon as possible, but she truly did want to stay and experience the festival. It was legendary, even in countries such as Lightning.

"I'll send a message to the Raikage requesting that you act as the liaison for the remainder of the time until our armies link up." Tsunade said deciding for the blonde.

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama!" Samui said gratefully with a bow.

"Now for escorts," Tsunade said as she flipped through some papers.

"I figured I'd be getting the usual, milady." Temari said with a raised eyebrow. She was expecting to get stuck with Shikamaru. Of course, she'd never complain about it.

"Shikamaru has…" Tsunade trailed off as she struggled for the words she was looking for. "…availability issues."

"What?!" Temari asked shocked. "You mean the lazy bum is actually doing something?"

Tsunade laughed and shook her head. "Sorry, but it's out of my hands."

"Um, Hokage-sama." Samui said quietly. "Is there any chance that I could have Sai as an escort?"

Tsunade stared at Samui as if she had grown a second head. "You're joking right?"

Samui shifted uncomfortably under the Hokage's gaze but said nothing.

When she realized that Samui was serious, Tsunade's eyebrows rose. "I'm sorry but just like Shikamaru, Sai is unavailable at the moment."

"I see." Was all Samui said quietly, but then straightened. "Then I will take whomever you choose, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade looked at the girls standing before her and could tell that they were both disappointed even though they didn't show it.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I know it's not the usual routine, and it seems a bit odd but –" Tsunade stopped abruptly as her eyes shot open.

"Is everything alright, milady?" the sand kuniochi asked hesitantly.

Tsunade said nothing as she flitted through her desk until she found a pen and an empty scroll. Opening it up, she began to write furiously while muttering something about remaining inconspicuous. When she was done, she rolled up the scroll and stamped it with the Hokage's red wax seal signifying that it was important orders that were absolute. Snapping her fingers, Boar appeared in front of her with a bow.

"Escort these girls to Naruto and give him this." Tsunade ordered.

Boar seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Forgive me Hokage-sama, but should I take them _there_?"

Tsunade paused for a moment and then glanced at the clock: it was a little after twelve. "No, Naruto is on break right now and most likely at his usual place. If not, bring the girls back and then find and deliver the orders to him."

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Boar replied with another bow. He turned to Samui and Temari. "Ladies, if you will." And with that he led them out of the room and into the village to find his secret captain.

* * *

><p>"So have you thought about who you're going to take to the festival?" Shikamaru asked.<p>

Naruto froze, noodles hanging halfway out of his mouth as he thought about the question. Swallowing his mouth full he answered, "To be honest I hadn't even thought about it. I've been so caught up in our planning and training that I guess it just slipped my mind. What about you guys?" he asked.

"Too troublesome to ask anyone." Shikamaru muttered. "Besides, our focus really should be on what's going to be happening at the festival."

"I still don't understand enough to make that kind of commitment anyways." Sai said nonchalantly earning him an incredulous look from both Naruto and Shikamaru. "But Shikamaru is right, we need to maintain focus."

"I am escorting someone." Shino said as he adjusted his glasses. The table stared at him in shock. "What, is it so hard to believe that I would do such a thing?"

"No," Naruto said shaking his head. "It's just that –I mean –um –who is she?" he asked lamely.

"Her name is Tamamushi, she is a distant branch member of my clan." Shino replied.

The rest of the group looked at each other for a moment.

"Congratulations?" Naruto half asked. Shino simply nodded his head in response.

Shikamaru smirked and shook his head. "Man things are changing around here. I feel tired just thinking about it."

"You're always tired, lazy-ass." Naruto muttered. "I just can't believe Shino is taking a date! No offense."

"None taken."

A brief flicker of confusion passed Sai's face before he seemingly pulled a book out of nowhere. "Naruto," he began as he flipped through the pages. "I believe that this means Shino has…" he trailed off as he found the section he was looking for. "…mad skills."

"Wha…?" Naruto asked completely caught off guard. Shikamaru snorted loudly causing some of the other customs to glance their way.

Sai nodded in understanding as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and continued to read. "It says here that since Shino was able to get a date, he has better skills at acquiring women. Therefore, you have…no…game." He squinted at the last part trying his hardest to comprehend it.

"Sai, please stop." Naruto said shaking his head and looking around. Surprisingly enough, for once the blonde didn't want to cause a scene.

"It's okay Naruto." Sai said with a smile. "If I were a girl, I'd tap that."

Now a few things happened at that moment. Naruto, who had made the mistake of trying to take a bite of his ramen, began to choke loudly as a look of horror passed across his face. Shikamaru looked shocked for about half a second before he burst out laughing hysterically, and Shino actually let out a burst of laughter before trying to cover it up with a cough.

"S-S-Sai!" Naruto stuttered out as he glanced around the restaurant. "What the _fuck?!_"

Sai cocked his head to the side confused. "It says here in this book that you are probably feeling insecure about your male prowess right now. I'm merely trying to rectify that." The look on Naruto's face said it all. "I'm trying to say that you still have a high amount of sex appeal."

Only Sai could make someone feel shitty, embarrassed, and horrified all at the same time when he was trying to cheer someone up. What could he say? It was a gift.

"And don't worry about your balls" Sai said off-handedly. "It's not the size that counts. And I'm sure your stamina would more than make up for it."

Shikamaru tried to intervene, and by try he actually put in the effort to raise one measly arm to bar Naruto's path. But it made no difference. One minute they were sitting in a booth. The next Naruto and Sai had crashed to the ground, with Sai looking confused and Naruto blushing such a bright shade of scarlet it would have made Hinata proud. All the time shouting about how his balls were normal size. The loud sudden cough was the only cue that they had visitors.

* * *

><p>"<em>My god, this is the man that's supposed to save us all."<em>

This was Boar's only thought as he entered the ramen restaurant and found the blonde. He felt a sweat drop form while he watched the blonde in front of him shout about the size of his balls.

"Um, Naruto…san." He coughed out. It was rather difficult to be respectful when someone was shouting about their size in public. "I have a message from Hokage-sama."

Naruto immediately jumped off of Sai and snapped to attention. It happened so fast it actually caused the two kunoichi to jump in surprise. Without a word Naruto held out his hand and received the scroll. His eyes instantly narrowed when he saw the red wax seal. In one fluid motion he had the seal released and was reading the contents swiftly. It was at this point that Temari noticed how everyone else had appeared behind the blonde, standing quietly at attention.

"_Just what exactly is going on?"_

Naruto hit a particular line and stopped. He went back and reread it just to make sure he understood it correctly and then looked at Boar.

"How legit is this document?" He asked.

"I was there when Hokage-sama wrote it." Boar answered quickly.

Naruto glared at the scroll angrily before he shifted his line of sight to Samui and then Temari. "Tch, damn that scheming old woman." Naruto muttered heatedly as he crushed the scroll in his fist and set it on fire. He gave one last look at the two women before he sighed and ran a hand through his golden locks. "Sai, Shikamaru."

"Sir," both men chorused causing Temari to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"It appears that baa-chan has _insisted_ that you two chaperone these women while they stay in the village." Naruto said while he gestured to Temari and Samui.

"How long will they be staying for?" Sai asked.

"They are here indefinitely for the time being, at least until the Festival of Leaves."

Everyone tensed slightly at that and it didn't go unnoticed by the two women. What they didn't realize was that everything involving the operation surrounding the festival just got harder. A lot harder. Shikamaru wanted to practically whimper as a tidal wave of new variables crashed through his plans.

"Understood." Sai answered for both of them when he saw that Shikamaru had a faraway look in his eyes.

Naruto turned to Boar. "You're dismissed." He then added as an afterthought. "And tell baa-chan if she keeps abusing this privilege then she's going to start owing me favors."

Boar nodded and then disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Silence fell on the group as everyone stared at each other, a tense feeling permeating the air. After a moment Naruto finally broke the silence with a heavy sigh.

"I'm heading out. I have a few things to take care of and then I'll be back at base." He placed money on the table and walked out onto the street.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto then tilted his head to the right and then the left eliciting a pop each time he did so. A habit he had developed from training with Renge. He glanced at the sun and saw he had about an hour and a half before he had to be back. He had to move quick if he wanted to accomplish what he set out to do.

Back in the restaurant, Temari watched Naruto leave before she turned to look at Shikamaru. "Explain."

"Not much to explain." Shikamaru said with a shrug of his shoulders. He jammed his hands in his pockets and walked out. "Come on."

Temari's eye twitched at Shikamaru's sudden more than normal distance and lack of a sufficient answer but followed nonetheless. Shino quietly excused himself with a nod leaving Sai and Samui alone. The two stared at each other passively for a moment before Sai gave her a smile.

"I suppose I could give you a tour around the village?" He suggested cocking his head to the side slightly.

"Yes." Samui said passively. "I suppose you could."

"Right, follow me." Sai said, and before she could even react he had hooked his arm around hers and led her from the establishment.

"W-What do you think you're doing?" Samui asked in shock as pink tinged her face.

"Escorting you through the village?" Sai answered in confusion.

"I m-mean with your arm!" Samui shouted in embarrassment as a few people on the street glanced their way.

"I was under the impression that this was proper protocol when escorting a lady." Sai said in genuine honesty. "I can stop if you'd like?"

"NO!" Samui burst out and then clasped a hand over her mouth. "I mean, no, it is quite alright." She said after she composed herself. "You just caught me by surprise is all."

Sai nodded and continued on his way. All the while Samui's emotions raged in conflict with each other.

"_How can he have such an effect on me?! He's so smooth, charismatic, and cool!"_ Samui thought desperately as the pink on her face started to turn red from the close contact. _"Have I finally met my match?"_

"So, Samui-chan, over here is the smitheries where all of our local weapons are produced." Sai began as he pointed to the blacksmiths.

"S-Samui-ch-chan?!" The blonde stuttered out in surprise.

"_Oh kami, I'm done for!"_

* * *

><p>Hinata's shoulders were hunched and her arms were extended and drooped down in exhaustion. Sweat trickled down her face and she panted trying her best to push oxygen into her lungs. Across from her, Hiashi looked much the same. Both had dirt smeared all over their bodies and tears could be seen along their robes. It was another spar between father and daughter, and just like the hundreds of times before –this one was about to end at a standstill.<p>

"One more." Hiashi panted out. Hinata saved her breath and just nodded.

Without another word the two charged each other, both putting everything they had into one last attack. Hiashi struck first with his right hand, knowing he had the reach over his daughter. Regardless, the sudden strike seemed to catch Hinata off guard. He watched as he palm came closer and closer to Hinata's chest until suddenly she disappeared. Hiashi's eyes widened in surprise as he over extended his attack, causing him to stumble forward when he met no resistance.

Hinata, as exhausted as she was, pulled herself together and used her natural flexibility to duck underneath her father's strike. Her left foot slid forward quickly until it was past her father's leading one and then shifted her weight to it. Pivoting, Hinata twirled around her father and landed a reinforced devastating right elbow to Hiashi's ribcage causing him to buckle and collapse to the ground.

Had it been a spar with chakra, the hit would have been debilitating. Had it been a battle, it would have been fatal –and Hiashi knew it. "That's it…" He gasped out on his hands and knees. "I…I…yield…"

Hinata immediately collapsed unceremoniously onto her butt and allowed a small smile to grace her lips. That was about it though. Anything else and it would have just been painful.

"Are…you alright…father?" She gasped out.

Hiashi smiled proudly at his daughter and nodded. "Just…give me…a minute." He attempted to stand up but quickly abandoned the idea and flopped over on his back. "Make that…an hour."

Hinata managed a tired giggle and gratefully accepted a cup of water from Hanabi who had been watching with Neji off to the side.

"That was awesome nee-chan! You kicked father's butt!" Hanabi shouted excitedly, then after a short moment she looked at Hiashi. "No offense father."

"None taken dear." Hiashi said with a dogged smile.

"You're improving by leaps and bounds Hinata; I'm almost envious of you." Neji said with a reassuring smile of his own.

"Envious? Of me?" Hinata asked with an amused smile of her own.

"_Almost._" Neji said with a wink.

"Oh come on Neji," Naruto's voice said behind them causing both Neji and Hanabi to jump. "Admit it, you wish you were Hinata right now."

They all turned around to find the blonde grinning and giving them a wink.

"You!" Hiashi said standing up quickly. "How did you find this place? It's supposed to be a secret!"

"Hm?" Naruto hummed out raising an eyebrow. "Don't know I just…got lost on the road of life." He said and even had the decency to give them an eye smile.

"Naruto…" Hiashi trailed off dangerously. It wasn't that he was mad the blonde was there. He was more concerned about others following said blonde and finding this place. It was a family secret after all. This place needed to stay hidden, away from prying eyes.

"Relax old man." Naruto said with a wave getting a giggle out of Hinata and Hanabi. "No one followed me, there's no way they could."

"How do you know?" Hiashi asked. He had to be sure after all.

Naruto gave the Hyuuga leader a pointed look. "You have your secrets Hiashi and I have mine, okay?"

Hiashi stared at him for a moment before relenting with a nod. "Is there something you need?"

Naruto nodded. "I was hoping to talk to Hinata actually."

"About what?" Which sounded eerily similar to 'Don't even think about involving her in your plans.'

"Claws daddy." Hanabi said with a giggle. Nevertheless, a slight tension had formed between the two.

"Honestly it's a private conversation." Naruto said with a slight cough. He looked away to hide the pink on his face.

Hinata blushed at the possible innuendos, but Hanabi saw this and immediately jumped into action. Grabbing Hiashi's sleeve she began to pull him away from the scene. "C'mon father, Neji still needs work with his technique."

"What?!" Neji said indignantly. "So do you!"

Hanabi simply scoffed and waved him off. "Details. Details."

Once alone Naruto looked at Hinata who was doing her very best to burn a hole in the ground with her stare. Her face was starting to turn red and she was holding her hands down in front of her, fidgeting with her fingers.

Naruto smiled. _"Cute. So damn cute."_

Closing the distance between the two Naruto spoke softly. "Hey, I meant what I said earlier." He paused as Hinata looked up into his eyes. "Anyone would be lucky to be as strong as you are."

Hinata's face flushed a little more. "Th-Thank you Naruto-kun."

Naruto gave her a reassuring smile and looked around the open field. Spying some shade he motioned to it. "Wanna sit?"

Hinata gave him a small smile and nodded. As they walked, their footfalls were the only noise between them. Silence seemed to be a common part of their interactions, but it was never an uncomfortable one. No, it was always a warm silence, a comfortable and welcoming one. Like the morning sun after a night of storms: warm, happy, and a promising future.

Reaching the shade the two took a seat and stared at each other in more silence. She thought he would speak soon; Naruto was never one for long lengths of quiet. But the blonde seemed simply content with just sitting there, staring deeply into her eyes. It was the kind of stare that suggested many unspoken things, and made her blush just thinking them. Finally though, the silence became too much for even Hinata and she had to break it.

It was either that or faint from all the rampant and dirty thoughts that were starting to surface.

"N-Naruto-kun? W-Why did you want t-to see me?" Hinata asked.

Her voice broke him from his trance, and Naruto shook his head lightly and blinked. "Huh? Oh, I uh…just wanted to see how you were doing." He glanced to the side for a moment.

"I'm d-doing well." The bluenette replied with a smile. "F-Father's training is hard b-but I'm doing m-my best and getting stronger."

Naruto nodded at that and smiled. "That's good. I haven't seen you around in a few days so I wanted to see how things were going."

"I know I h-haven't been around the v-village lately. But father's t-training requires large amounts of t-time. I d-didn't mean to worry y-you or anyone else."

"I wasn't worried Hinata." Naruto said waving her off. He failed to see the brief flicker of crestfallen that crossed her face.

"I know you're strong enough to take care of yourself." He continued with a toothy smile. It didn't last long as he looked away and began to rub the back of his head. "I, uh…just missed seeing you is all."

Hinata froze. Her eyes widened and her face began to burn red. A deep red. Her heart felt as if it were about to burst out of her chest and the roar of her blood was in her ears.

"_Breathe and calm down dammit!"_ Hinata raged inside. _"You will not faint! Not now! Not in this perfect moment I'm spending with Naruto-kun!"_

"Y-Y-You m-missed m-m-me?" Hinata stammered out terribly. She was pretty sure even her younger self could have done a better job than she was doing right now.

Naruto chuckled at how cute she sounded and looked at her sincerely with a small smile. "Yeah. I missed you a lot, Hinata-chan."

Darkness was creeping in from the edges of her vision. _"No!No!No!No! You will NOT faint! Say something! ANYTHING!"_

A strangled, high pitched 'eep' was all that she managed from her mouth. Well, it _was_ something. Just not anything human.

Not cocked his head to the side from the strange sound that he had just heard. He noticed how Hinata was no longer looking at him. Instead she stared at the grass in front of her; once again damning it by attempting to burn it away with her eyes alone. He just smirked.

"Hey Hina-chan, I've got a question for you."

Hinata didn't even trust herself to speak so she simply lifted her gaze from the ground to Naruto. It was a mistake. A big mistake. How could she tell? Because the blonde in front of her was doing his best to not to break eye contact and was blushing. He almost seemed to be fidgeting as much as her.

Naruto seemed to hesitate a minute longer before he finally spoke. "I was wondering…if you wanted to –ya know –maybe…go with me to, um…" He trailed off and looked away.

"_Dammit! Just ask her!"_ He shouted. _"It shouldn't be this hard!"_

Hinata stared at Naruto blankly. _"What is he doing? What is he trying to say?"_

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Naruto ruffled his own hair and looked at the girl across from him with determination. "Hinata, I was wondering if you would like to go to the Festival of Leaves with me."

Silence fell upon them. And the comfortable silence the two had shared earlier; the one where everything was perfect, warm, and happy was not the one that fell either. It was awkward. It was uncomfortable. And it was full of staring. It was the kind of silence that made the_ dead_ in a cemetery uncomfortable.

Hinata continued to stare as her brain tried to process what she had just heard. The gears spun at a less-than-safe pace and the blood had actually drained from her face. Her mouth had gone dry. All she could do was stare at him. And it was making Naruto self conscious.

But she couldn't comprehend what she had just heard. It was outlandish to think that Naruto wanted to take her to the festival, right?

"_He doesn't want to go with me. He could take any other girl that he wanted to, why would he pick me? I must have heard wrong. What is going on? What did you just say to me?!"_

"Heh, its okay if you don't want to." Naruto said rubbing the back of his head as his blush turned to one of embarrassment and intensified. "I just wanted to ask."

"_Wait he did ask me?! He wants to take me?!"_

Naruto quickly realized that he wanted to get away from the woman's stare. It was embarrassing him and he was starting to feel incredibly stupid. Standing up abruptly, he brushed himself off and said, "I'm sorry I asked. Please don't think any less of me."

He turned to leave but a hand suddenly latched onto his in a vice grip and loud "WAIT!" stopped him dead in his tracks. Turning back, Naruto found Hinata clutching his hand tightly with a panicked look on her face.

"D-D-D-Do y-y-you r-real-ly w-w-want t-t-to?"

Her voice was almost a whisper of wind, barely audible even though they were so close. She stuttered so bad she barely even understood what she had said and she worried he hadn't understood her at all. Her grip tightened as a flicker of fear crossed her mind. What if she missed her one opportunity with Naruto?

Hinata was close to a mental breakdown. But one look, just one smile from Naruto halted all of the negative thoughts in their tracks.

"Of course I do Hinata-chan!" Naruto said with a face splitting smile. "I wouldn't want to go with anyone else!"

"Oh." That was all Hinata could manage. She then looked up at the blonde and cocked her head to the side. "Did you just ask me out on a date?"

Naruto almost wanted to shiver at how controlled Hinata's voice was. Not a single stutter from the midnight haired woman and she looked strangely calm, borderline emotionless. A complete 180 in character.

"Uh, yeah I did." Naruto said and then scratched his cheek. "At least I hope I just did."

"I see." Hinata said quietly, almost as if she were talking to herself. She then met his eyes. "Naruto, I would love nothing more than to go to the Festival of Leaves with you."

Naruto actually shivered that time.

"Great, well I'll see you around then." He gave a concerned smile. "Are you okay?"

Hinata released his hand and stood up. She brushed herself off and looked him square in the eyes again. "I am perfectly fine Naruto-kun. Now if you'll excuse me."

She gave a short bow and turned towards her family. Her mind was in a haze. Vertigo didn't even begin to describe it. She felt as if she was dreaming and the high she felt in her chest was quickly welling up and rushing straight to her head.

"_Naruto-kun just asked me out."_

The blush exploded upon her face and the breath hitched in her throat.

"_Naruto-kun just asked ME out! I'M GOING ON A DATE WITH NARUTO-KUN!"_

Her vision swam, the world turned sideways, and darkness quickly attacked from the edges of her eyes.

And all this happened in exactly three steps from leaving Naruto.

Naruto watched amused as she swayed heavily from side to side before a gasp escaped her lips and she toppled over. Luckily he caught before she ever hit the ground.

Adjusting her into a bridal carry, Naruto began to walk towards Hiashi and the others. Looking down at the unconscious and still blushing face of the woman he loved he let out a small chuckle.

"Ya know, I hope that never stops Hime. It's just too damn cute."

Hinata response was to grip his shirt and let out a small content sigh. He smiled softly down at her and felt his heart warm. He couldn't deny it or hide from his feelings anymore.

He was in love with Hyuuga Hinata.

And then the moment ended. His feelings and smile coming to a screeching halt when he felt the pulse of chakra in quick successions on the seal he had placed on his left shoulder. It was brief but the message was clear 'Return to base immediately.'

In one swift movement Naruto appeared in front of Hiashi who was watching Neji and Hanabi spar.

"She's fine. Something's come up. I have to go." Naruto said quickly.

Hiashi was so surprised at the blonde's arrival and at what he said that he didn't even register his unconscious daughter until Naruto shoved her into his arms. Before he could say anything, Naruto was gone in a flash. Literally.

* * *

><p>Temari was far from happy with how Shikamaru had been acting since her arrival. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn he was trying to get rid of her. These thoughts were only confirmed when they arrived at the hotel meant for foreign ambassadors and the likes while they stayed in Konoha. When they came to a stop out front he turned and looked at her, only to receive a glare back.<p>

Temari didn't want to admit it but it actually hurt to have the lazy ass trying to get rid of her so quickly. She was never one for girly things like the other women she grew up with. She was always focusing on training, becoming stronger and more self reliant. So when she was escorted by the lazy Nara for the first time she was surprised at the sudden electricity she felt in her body when she was around him. It was the kind of feeling that made her excited to visit Konoha just so she could be close to him. She hated acting like a helpless girl but when she was close to Shikamaru she didn't care. She flirted with him, bantered with him, and talked with him all day when she could manage. And over the course of their time spent together, Temari could have sworn that Shikamaru felt the same way. He didn't complain as much when she said she wanted to go somewhere nice to eat, or wanted to take a walk through the village. He even accompanied her on her shopping excursions and recently offered to pay for a piece of jewelry she had been eying in the market.

She had denied him quickly but that still didn't keep her from blushing and squealing like a child once she had gotten back to her room.

So it hurt when the man she was becoming so attached to suddenly didn't seem like he was interested in spending time with her at all. It hurt that the one man who could actually make her feel like a woman didn't want to be around her. What did it mean? Was he tired of her? Did he lose interest? Was it another girl?

The sudden questions nearly overwhelmed her and she found herself surprised and equally angry that she had to fight back tears.

"Hey, you alright?" Shikamaru asked in his slow drawl, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"What do you care?" Temari snapped back.

This surprised the Nara and he even made an effort to raise an eyebrow. He sighed and shook his head. Women.

"Just wondering. You got a weird look is all."

"Whatever. I take it you want me to go in since we're here."

"If it's not too troublesome." Shikamaru answered with a shrug.

"Well it is!" Temari practically shouted.

Shikamaru sighed and rubbed his temple. "What do you want woman?"

In hindsight, Shikamaru probably should have just kept his mouth shut. The audible crack followed by the stinging and disorienting sensation drew more than just Shikamaru's attention. Many people passing by started to point and whisper.

"I want food." Temari hissed. She then turned on her heels and began to stomp down the street.

"Why? Why does it _always_ have to be me?" He grumbled to no one in particular. He followed behind the seething blonde like a beat dog with his tail between his legs. Even his pony tail seemed to droop.

They were eating in silence at a café specializing in Suna cuisine when Shikamaru actually pulled himself away from his thoughts and plans. He glanced at Temari and noticed the larger than normal amount of food that was situated around her and groaned internally. She was expecting him to pay for this meal and pay he would –in two different ways. The last time she had done this she hadn't even spoken to him during her entire stay except to order him around. She was obviously upset, hence the copious amounts of food, but why was the real mystery. Internally sighing he figured he might as well meet the obstacle head one.

"Temari," Shikamaru began, only to receive a grunt of acknowledgement from the blonde, "what's wrong?"

Temari stopped her chopsticks half way from her mouth and set them down on her plate. She leveled him with a gaze he was pretty sure could fry an egg and said, "Nothing."

"_Lie."_

"Seriously, what's wrong?"

"I said nothing!" Temari replied heatedly.

Shikamaru sighed, again –seriously how many times did that make now? –and rubbed his temple. "Please tell me what's wrong. I can't think straight with you acting like this."

"And how exactly am I acting?" Temari asked narrowing her eyes.

Shikamaru should have recognized the trap. He should have read the signs and humbly walked away from this one admitting his own limitations. But as he said, he couldn't think straight so he made the mistake and opened his mouth.

"You're acting like everything you ever owned was stolen from you and I did it."

Hindsight, Shikamaru was quickly learning, was a stinging bitch. The second smack left him just as disoriented as the first one and before he knew it Temari was out the door. Rubbing his cheek and rolling his eyes, Shikamaru dumped half the contents of his wallet on the table and quickly left.

Temari couldn't believe what she had just heard. What was even more unbelievable were the tears now streaming down her face uncontrollably. She was in public for god's sake! She lowered her head and did her best to wipe away the tears but it worked to no avail. What did work though was Shikamaru's voice telling her to wait up. So naturally, she did the opposite and pushed on faster through the crowds.

"Temari! Seriously, wait up!" Shikamaru called out as he managed to catch up to her and grab her arm. "Temari what is going on?"

"Why don't you like me anymore?!" She shouted as she whirled around to face him.

For the third time that day people began to look and whisper things to one another. _"She has no sense of volume control."_

"What are you talking about?" He asked confused.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me? I thought you liked being around me!" Temari shouted with tears in her eyes.

Shikamaru looked around the street to see the scene they were causing and sighed. Still holding her arm, Shikamaru practically dragged her to a nearby alley to get some form of privacy.

"Seriously, what was that all about?" Shikamaru asked once they were alone. "What are you going on about?"

"Don't act like you have no idea what's going on Shikamaru! I'm not stupid; I can tell when I'm not wanted. The least you could do is try to be somewhat decent about it!"

Shikamaru could only start at the blonde across him in a mixture of confusion and shock.

"Of course I'm trying to get rid of you." Shikamaru said with a shrug which only managed to make Temari more upset. "I have a lot going on Temari; I don't have time to spend with you."

"Why not!" Temari asked. She was so embarrassed she was getting this worked up and it only made her angrier. "What could you possibly be doing that's so important? You never do anything!"

"Temari I–"

"—And here I thought _maybe_ you would ask me to this stupid festival!"

Both of them stared at each other in shock. A mad blush was now burning across Temari's face. She hadn't meant to say it, it had just slipped out! The cat was officially out of the bag.

Shikamaru simply couldn't believe what he had just heard. Did she really like him that much? If so then what was coming next made everything so much easier.

Shikamaru simply shook his head and chuckled to himself. This managed to get a hurt look from Temari as well as a growl. However, it quickly changed to shock when Shikamaru suddenly pushed her up against the building and pressed his body against her.

"Shikamarut wha–"

"—Is it so hard to believe I'm actually busy with something important?" The shadow user asked in a low husky drawl. Temari seemed to be at a loss for words so he continued. "I can't tell you what I'm doing but it is important. I'm sorry I can't give you the attention I'd like to give you right now."

Temari's body had frozen. Years of training as a kunoichi flew right out the window once Shikamaru had pressed up against her. And even if she could fight back, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. The only thing she was sure of was Shikamaru's warm breath tickling her cheeks and neck and the heavy almost hungry gaze he was giving her. It was enrapturing and the blush she had moments ago had intensified. Her body felt electrified. As if she had been hit by a direct bolt of lightning. The weight of the man pressed against her sent her mind reeling from the amount of stimuli being sent to her brain. She shuddered under his weight and found herself wanting more. She wanted to feel his hands running through her hair and over her body.

The warmth in chest was quickly heating up and making its way south. And it was damn well determined to make it there.

"Wh-What are you saying Shika?" Temari asked breathlessly. Their faces were just inches away from one another and she could help but stare at his lips.

"What I'm saying is…" He trailed off as he leaned in and closed the little remaining distance between them, pressing his lips against hers and locking the two in a heated and barely repressed passionate kiss for several long intoxicating seconds. Breaking away he finished, "…would you like to go to the Festival of Leaves with me?"

Temari wanted to answer, but apparently someone had tied her tongue in a knot because all she could do was gape longingly at him. At his lips. Wanting to feel them pressed against hers in a way that made her feel more alive than she ever had before.

"I…" She started but stopped when Shikamaru suddenly flinched and stood away from her absent-mindedly rubbing his left shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Temari asked, noticing the tense look on his face.

Before he could answer though an Anbu appeared with a hare mask and spoke, interrupting the passion filled conversation they had been having only seconds before.

"Shikamaru-san, we have been summoned. We need to find Sai-san and report back to base."

"Understood." Shikamaru said tersely with a nod. He looked at Temari and gave her a smirk. "Shall we rain-check this conversation for a later date?"

Temari could only nod as she watched the man that made her feel like a woman leave with an elite operative of Konohagakure. Yep, his hotness factor just jumped up several hundred pegs or so.

"We still need to find Sai." Shikamaru said as the two started to walk out of the alley.

"That will be unnecessary, I'm already here." Sai said, stepping out into the entrance of the alley.

"Then let's get going." Hare said as they leapt to the rooftops, with the Anbu taking the lead.

After a few minutes of silence Shikamaru turned to Sai.

"You were there for that entire conversation weren't you."

Sai gave him a smile. "Of course, but I didn't want to be a cockblock." He then shifted his gaze to Hare's back. "That would just be a dick move."

Shikamaru snorted but said nothing and continued to follow the Anbu. Up ahead, Hare couldn't shake the distinct feeling that Sai had been talking about him.

**So, what do ya think? Excited for the Hyuuga purge? Excited to see what happens during the festival between the characters? Mind completely blown with how aggressive the lazy Nara actually is? ;) Well let me know!**


	27. The Depth of Corruption

**A/N: Look at this! A new chapie and you didn't even have to wait a whole month! Wahoo! So anyways, glad to see you guys enjoyed the last one so much. You really enjoyed the NaruHina moment didn't you? So did I. Everyone keeps telling me how they love Sai in this story, how he's hilarious and serious at the same time. I have to admit, he's one of my favorite characters to write. He's just so much fun when he misreads a situation. I'm glad to see you guys supporting this story so much, you guys really do make it worth writing. I can only hope that I can continue to feed you a great story and continue to blow your mind. Speaking of blowing your minds….**

**Gotta twist for ya guys in this chapter, and I **_**know**_** you won't see it coming. I'm so looking forward to the reviews to see what your responses are to it. Shit is getting' serious real quick! But first, wanna give a few quick shout outs.**

**Keia: **If you're reading this I'll let you know that your review honestly made me blush. I pride myself as a guy that does not get flustered and has no shame but your review made my cheeks heat up like a Fourth of July summer sun! Thanks!

**Serious Sam: **Thanks, I'll admit that it can be difficult to write a character that's supposed to have zero emotion. As for the Shika/Tem moment, I thought it would be funny and surprising to suddenly switch the roles. As for when Naruto says the words…I think we can all guess when it's going to happen. Gotta be romantic and all. The commander wasn't kidding when he said it was going to be a tall order, I'm so excited to right that chain of scenes.

**cook563: **Those were my thoughts exactly when it came to Naras lol. As for why Samui like Sai…well it's just one of those things where everything Sai does Samui misinterprets what he means lol.

**ZodiacBirdy:** YES! I'm so glad somebody caught that reference! I love that series and it just felt so perfect to fit it in there somewhere. There may be more in the future so keep a look out.

**Hektols: **Glad you are enjoying the fic. Trust me, there will be a talk between Hiashi and Naruto when he arrives to pick her up lol.

**I received a question asking how much longer I thought this story would last. To be honest, I'm thinking we are just about to the halfway point. Once the festival takes place will probably mark the halfway point so all in all maybe a little more than fifty chapters in this story. Okay, now with all that out of the way, On With The Story!**

**Last Time:** Naruto and the rest participating in Operation: Spring Cleaning went over the final details for the mission. With nothing left to do but train and prepare for the rapidly arriving date, the four boys headed out for an afternoon lunch. After arriving at Ichiraku's Naruto receives a message from Tsunade requiring Shikamaru and Sai to escort Temari and Samui during their stay in Konoha as well as to the festival. This causes immediate problems for the entire team, with added variables that they didn't account for. Naruto leaves Shikamaru to his own device and heads to the Hyuuga's secret training ground where Hiashi is training his children in the Hollow Fist. After getting Hinata alone, Naruto manages to ask Hinata on a date to the festival to which the heiress calmly accepts before fainting. At the same time Shikamaru asks Temari to the festival, which completely catches her by surprise. After the two men are done, the entire team receives and urgent message to return to base.

**Chapter 26: The Depth of Corruption**

Madara was in his study overlooking a map when Zetsu appeared behind him. The plant man did not speak, as he could tell that the masked man was not in the best of moods. The reason for this stemmed from the conversation he had had earlier with their newest recruit to the cause –Yakushi Kabuto.

When the snake had come slithering to him in the beginning he had practically demanded that he be accepted into the masked man's ranks. Madara was skeptical at first and humored the man, but he quickly realized how great of an asset he could be. But there was a catch. There was always a catch and Madara had voiced this. Kabuto had simply laughed at him but admitted there wasn't. He just simply wanted to watch as the world burned to the ground. Madara was sure there was an ulterior motive, but for the time being he accepted it. But now. Now things were starting to get a little out of hand.

Kabuto had come to Madara and demanded that he receive Sasuke's body in return for his services. While the he could care less about what happened to his younger clansman, Madara still felt bad about agreeing to the deal. Who knew what the disgusting freak had planned for him. Still, Madara didn't like having Kabuto able to so freely make demands. He was a loose cannon. An extreme variable. A very, _very_ loose end.

"Zetsu…" Madara whispered with barely restrained rage. "It would be in your best interest if you had good news for me."

Zetsu hesitated. _"Unfortunately, I don't."_ The plant man was met with a growl but remained calm. _"It seems the situation with the Hyuuga has escalated."_

"Explain." The masked man commanded.

"_It would appear that the Hokage has been notified of what's happening in the clan. However, she has yet to make a move to stop it. I think she has someone else looking in to it."_

"Do you have any idea who?" At this question, Zetsu did hesitate. "Zetsu!"

"_I…think the matter has been left to Uzumaki Naruto. But I think that he also may be getting help from the two elderly Uzumakis. It's hard to prove, since they seem to have absolutely no contact with him other than in public."_

"Zetsu." Madara said turning around. "You keep using the word 'think'. For being the ultimate spy master there sure is a lot you aren't certain about."

"_They're up to something, that's for certain."_ Zetsu admitted. _"But throughout the day Naruto will quite literally drop off the face of the earth. His chakra signature disappears completely and then will quite suddenly reappear a few hours later."_

"Perhaps he's visiting the toads?" Madara offered.

"_It's possible."_ Zetsu said. _"It would allow him to prepare a counter for us since I have no way of following him to Mt. Myoboku. However, he could also be going there to train. We have no way of knowing. At the same time, Hiashi has been training his children in an ancient clan style not even _I _knew existed. He is…doing well to prepare them."_

Madara slammed his fist down on the table causing it to splinter under the force. This whole ordeal was becoming too much of a hassle. Too many variables and not enough intel. These damn Uzumakis were such a pain in the ass! It was time he took things into his own hands. He was done playing the politic.

"Zetsu," The masked man said turning to look at his counterpart. "Initiate Option Beta."

"_Done pussyfooting around huh? Very well, I'll relay the message."_

As Zetsu left to inform the others of the plan, Madara's single crimson eye burned in the dark. He wouldn't lose now. Not when he was so close to his goal. Not when he was so close to perfection.

* * *

><p>Naruto was already at the base when the others arrived. Walking in, they looked at their blonde haired commander who was leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed. He returned their look but simply shook his head.<p>

"Wasn't me."

"Then who was it?" Shikamaru asked.

"It was Jiji, I guess he's got something for us." Naruto replied.

"Oh how right you are Naruto-kun." Jihibiki replied as his small form appeared in a doorway.

The small man strode into the mission chamber and motioned for them to gather around the table. When they had all gathered around Jihibiki looked at them and smiled.

"I have something for you youngsters," Jihibiki said as he laid an ancient looking scroll on the table. "But first you have to answer a riddle."

Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino all looked at each other before looking at the old Uzumaki.

"Bring it on Jiji." Naruto said with a smirk.

Jihibiki just smiled and unrolled the scroll. "What is one trait that all children share with men?"

The four men looked at each other in confusion before coming to collective silence.

"Uhh…" Naruto started.

"They all like to play with new toys!" Jihibiki shouted jubilantly as a burst of smoke poured from the scroll.

When the smoke cleared an old ornate wooden box sat on the table about a meter long and a foot wide. The darkened aged wood looked to be made of yew with golden symbols painted along the edges and sides. The boys looked at the box in confusion not understanding what it was. A gasp from the commander, however, implied that it was obviously something worthwhile.

"W-Where did you find this?!" The commander asked as he approached the box and reverently slid a hand across the top. "It was supposed to have been lost."

"It was lost." Jihibiki answered. "Lost in the Konohagakure vault."

The commander looked at Jihibiki in shock. Or at least, what everyone expected would be shock underneath his mask. "They've been right under our noses this entire time?

Jihibiki nodded with a smirk. The two were pulled from their discussion though by a cough from Naruto.

"If you're done with the vague conversation," he said motioning his hand to him and the others, "we'd like to know what the hell that is."

"Of course Naruto-kun." Jihibiki said smiling. "However…" He turned to look at the Anbu next to him. "I believe the commander would like to tell this story?"

The commander nodded his head and turned to the others. "Gentlemen," he started, "what can you tell me about the Night Angels?"

* * *

><p>Sakura held her breath as she watched the seconds count down on her alarm clock. With ten seconds left till the appointed time she crossed her room and entered the bathroom. Closing the door and locking it behind her she then turned the shower on.<p>

This was the only place she had privacy in the entire hideout. She had asked Sasuke to get the message across to Zetsu that she wanted some dignity at least when she used the bathroom and shower. She was shocked when she learned that the man had clones all throughout the base capable of appearing through any surface. It made her feel uneasy and had resulted in lack of sleep for her during the first few nights of her stay. But she absolutely refused to have the plant man spying on her during her personal time.

The first few times Sakura had simply smashed the clones into oblivion. Afterwards she demanded Madara to back off and give her at least _some _privacy. The man had simply snorted at her and sent her away. So, desperate for some kind of solution, she went to Sasuke.

Or rather, she made him come to her.

He had been passing by her room when he heard her crying. Normally he wouldn't have cared, but after the time they had spent together he couldn't help but feel his heart pull a little when he heard his former teammate's sobs. Reluctantly, he had knocked on her door and entered to find her trying in vain to dry her tears.

"Sakura-chan…what's wrong?"

"It's n-nothing." The medic had said trying to drop the subject.

"Sakura." In one word his voice carried a note of finality. It said 'drop the act and tell me what's wrong'. But at the same time an underlying concern and worry was present that the Uchiha wasn't even entirely aware of.

Sakura lost it.

"I-It's so h-hard to adjust here!" She had cried out turning and burying her face in his neck.

Sasuke had froze at the contact. His first reaction was to push her off and cut her throat, combat instincts and all. But he quickly had pushed that aside and found himself unsure of what to do. So he had settled for awkwardly placing his hands on her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Everyone is s-so cold and indifferent. I-I'm always a-afraid someone is g-going to stab me in the b-back. I m-miss everyone b-back home and my p-parents…" She had trailed off as she sobbed loudly. "A-And to top it all o-off I can't even t-take a damn shower w-without being watched!"

And with that Sasuke had found him conflicted. Tell her to go. Tell her to stay. Tell her to deal with it, she had asked for this. Tell her not to worry, that he would protect her. The last thought had sent him spiraling into even more confusion.

"Maybe…I could talk to Madara about getting you a little privacy." Sasuke had tried to offer.

Sakura simply shook her head, still buried in his neck. "I t-tried. He just t-told me to stop pestering h-him before he killed me."

And then something unexpected had happened to Sasuke. A sudden, unbridled fury rose up in his chest. He dared to threaten Sakura? After everything she had thrown away just to help their cause? After everything she had done to help him? He had the gull to threaten her with death? But if that hadn't been enough of a surprise emotion for the Uchiha the next one slammed him with the force of a tsunami.

Guilt.

Hadn't Karin done the exact same thing Sakura was doing? Hadn't the girl given everything just to help his cause? And he had constantly threatened her, and in the end _killed_ her. He was no better than the masked bastard, Madara. And the thought of that suddenly left Sasuke feeling extremely emotional.

"I will…take care of this." Sasuke had said quickly as he pushed her away and made for the door. He had to get away from her. He had to get a grip on himself.

It wasn't until a few hours later Sasuke had returned to Sakura's room. Without speaking a word he entered and made for her bathroom. When she had asked him what he was doing he ignored her and turned on her shower. Turning to look at the pink haired girl he gave her a smile. Not a smirk, but a smile. Small, but genuine.

"Zetsu won't be a problem anymore." He had replied quietly. "You may take your showers with piece of mind now."

He explained that he used his Sharingan to put a subliminal order in Zetsu's mind: continue to watch Sakura, but give her privacy in the bathroom. When Sakura had asked him why he had done that for her he grunted and replied he wanted to test the new capabilities of his brother's eyes. He would never admit it crushed him to see Sakura crying.

When he tried to leave Sakura had stopped him. Turning to look at her he had been surprised to be met with more tears. Before he could ask what was wrong she had threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

He wanted to fight it, but the contact was different. This wasn't the hug of some rabid fan girl. It wasn't some desperate attempt at gaining his attention. No. The embrace Sasuke received was one of genuine care. It was strong but gentle as if holding an infant. It radiated warmth, tenderness, and a deep sense of appreciation. She pressed herself against him in a way that suggested even though she was strong; she could show her weakness to him and _only_ him. He was her rock. She _needed_ him. Not because of what he was nor because of his name, but because of what he meant to her.

It was another emotional rollercoaster, and just when he had thought it couldn't get any more confusing she whispered. "I love you Sasuke…"

His arms had come up involuntary and returned the embrace. It was weak compared to hers, as if he were unsure of what he was doing. He had replied with a grunt to acknowledge he heard what she said. At least he had tried to.

"I know." He had whispered back, horrified at voicing his thoughts.

Sakura had gone rigid for a brief moment at the shocking revelation before relaxing. She could feel that the man she was pressed against was uncomfortable so she ended the contact.

But not before replying softly, "I always will, never forget that."

Releasing him, she lightly had placed her soft pink lips to his pale cheek and given him a chaste kiss. She then quickly went into the bathroom and closed the door, doing her best to hide her blush.

Sasuke had stood rooted to his spot on floor in a daze. Absentmindedly, his hand rose slowly to his cheek and ever so lightly brushed his finger tips against the skin where her lips had made contact. A brief shudder and then a sudden warmth spread in his chest. Leaving her room, he had begun a walk that would be remembered as nothing more than a blur as he wandered the halls aimlessly for the next half hour.

"Just what are you doing to me?" He had asked himself as he stared at his hands.

But Sakura's plan had worked, regardless of the personal satisfaction she received from their encounter. As much as it pained her to admit, she had manipulated the Uchiha into giving her privacy so she could perform her next task. Her tears may have been faked, but her words had at least been the truth. Without Zetsu spying on her, she was now able to send out a message to Konoha. She was brought out of her thoughts when there was a small poof of smoke.

When the smoke cleared, a small pale white slug with faint pink markings running the length of its back appeared on the sink in front of her, no bigger than the size of her hand.

"Sakura-sama." The small insect said with a nod, its voice barely audible over the running water.

Sakura replied by nodding and then pressing a finger to her lips for the universal sign of silence. Crouching down so she was eye level with the slug, Sakura then produced a scroll the length and width of her pinky.

Offering the slug the scroll she whispered, "Take this to Katsuyu and then have her deliver it to Tsunade-sama. This is urgent and must be delivered immediately. There has been a change in plans."

The slug nodded and then swallowed the scroll.

Once it was completely absorbed Sakura spoke again. "Please extend my apologies to Katsuyu. I do not mean to use you summons as messengers but it's important."

"Do not worry, Sakura-sama." The slug said reassuringly. "Katsuyu completely understands."

"Thank you." Sakura said with a small smile. "Please return in two days. I'll have a full report ready by then. Arrive at the same time, in here. If I'm not here, leave quickly and come back every hour on the hour. Understood?"

The slug nodded and then left in another puff of smoke. Sighing to herself, Sakura stood up and stripped down. Entering the shower, she let the hot water beat against her skin as she tried to relax as best she could.

The stage was set. The pieces were now in motion. Only time would tell how the game would end.

* * *

><p>"…chan…ee-chan…nee-chan…"<p>

Hinata's eyes fluttered open to be met with open blue skies and a pair of lavender tinged orbs staring at her with a worried expression.

"H-Hanabi?" Hinata asked as she slowly cleared the fog in her brain. "What happened?"

Upon seeing her sister okay Hanabi visibly relaxed. "Dunno. One minute you were talking to Naruto-kun and the next he appeared in front of father holding you. Then he gave you to father and disappeared quickly." Hinata just groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "What happened?"

Hinata covered her eyes with the back of her hand and began muttering to herself, trying her best to recall what had happened. Hanabi quirked an eyebrow and leaned over her sister's face to try her best to hear what the heiress was saying. Suddenly Hinata froze, the memories rushing back in full force and causing the bluenette's eyes to widen to the size of saucers.

In the blink of an eye, Hinata's hands flashed forward and clutched Hanabi's cheeks in an iron grip. Hanabi yelped in surprise from the quick movement and suddenly found herself nose to nose with her sister.

Hinata stared intensely into her sister's eyes for a split second before whispering, "I have a date with Naruto-kun."

"WHAT?!" Hanabi, Hiashi, and Neji all shouted at once.

"I. Have. A date. With. Naruto-kun." Hinata said again calmly. The calm demeanor last for about another two seconds before she exploded with a high pitched squeal. "IhaveadatewithNaruto-kun! IhaveadatewithNaruto-kun!"

The entire time Hinata shouted this she was shaking Hanabi back and forth violently. Hiashi was about to step forward and try to intervene when Neji's hand barred his path.

"Neji, I think Hanabi might need our help." Hiashi said raising an eyebrow.

Neji shook his head solemnly. "No. It's too late for her. We should flee while we still have the chance." Motioning to the ragdoll form of Hanabi, whose eyes had now rolled into the back of her head, and was still being shook, continued. "Let not her sacrifice be in vain."

Hiashi looked at his youngest daughter's unconscious body one last time before nodding. The two men turned and began to creep away when they froze in their spots.

"Father!" Hinata shouted, turning to the clan patriarch with a crazed look in her eye.

"Y-Yes, sweetie?" Hiashi asked hesitantly.

"Money!" Hinata demanded thrusting her hand out, palm turned upwards.

"For what?" Hiashi asked now confused.

"Clothes!" Hinata answered crazily. It was becoming apparent that she could only speak in one word sentences in her current state of mind.

"But don't you have plenty of clothes already?"

"What…What have you done?" Neji asked in horror as he began to back away from Hiashi as if he were infected with the plague. Shaking his head sadly he muttered, "You poor bastard."

Now there is an unspoken bond between all men. An alliance formed between the male genders, united in one cause against women. Men, who have never met each other before in their entire lives can come together in a moment of need –a crisis, and unify against the terror of the opposite sex. Be it covering for one another, a wingman on a night out, or the unstoppable talk no jutsu: The Ultimate Seamless Collaborative Man Lie. Those united under a single banner from every background knew that they could come together in a time of need.

However, there were many unspoken rules as well, as such is necessary to maintain a civil order amongst men. But the most important rule between all men. The golden rule by which all men adhered to and understood fully was this.

Thou shalt not wasteth thine life through needless sacrifice. Thou shalt reap what ye sow. There are no heroes on the battlefield of women.

And Neji was never one to disobey the rules.

"What was that Father?" Hinata asked darkly as she cocked her head to the side.

A crazed smile was forming on his daughter's lips and there was a strange glint in her eyes. If Hiashi didn't know any better he could have sworn there was an eclipse as the atmosphere suddenly darkened. Hiashi was a strong man, he could boldly admit that. But the look Hinata leveled him with brought the proud man to his knees cowering in fear. He glanced to his side, looking for Neji for support and found that he had already high tailed it. When he turned back he nearly screamed in horror to find Hinata standing before him with her hands on her hips. The world darkened a little more.

"You were saying father?" Hinata's voice was a whisper but it may have been a booming shout the way Hiashi flinched.

With a whimper, Hiashi reached into his pocket and produced his money pouch. With a shaky hand he began to open the pouch when suddenly Hinata snatched it out of his hands and deposited it in her own pocket.

"Thank you daddy!" Hinata said suddenly bright and bubbly. The dark foreboding atmosphere did a complete 180 and Hinata turned to leave.

"Wait, Hinata!" Hiashi began, he wasn't about to let his daughter take _all_ of his money.

Hinata looked over her shoulder and the evil darkness returned in three-fold. She glared at him out of the corner of her eye and let out a shrieking hiss. Hiashi could have sworn he even saw a forked tongue!

Hiashi simply shut his mouth and mumbled and apology looking down. Now that he thought about it, he didn't need his money _that_ bad. Hinata simply returned to her normal self and hummed as she walked over to her baby sister. Reaching down, she grabbed Hanabi by the foot –who was still unconscious and frothing at the mouth –and began to drag the girl behind her. She did all of this still humming and now skipping.

"Come along Hana-chan, you've got to help your nee-chan pick out something nice to wear!"

Hanabi's only response was to make a gurgled groan.

* * *

><p>"The what?" Naruto asked.<p>

"The Night Angels." The commander repeated. "Have any of you ever heard of them before?"

Everyone shook their head except for Sai.

"I've heard of them." The pale artist admitted, getting some shocked looks from the group. "I heard mentions of them when I was in Root. However, it was only in passing and all I am really familiar with is the name."

"Looks like you get to tell the story then kid!" Jihibiki said giving the commander a slap on the back.

The commander simply nodded and ignored the fact the he was being called a kid. Folding his arms he started.

"You all are aware that this village was founded as a result of an alliance formed by the Senju and the Uchiha clans during the clan wars. The armistice was signed as a way to prevent the two clans from being wiped out. Many people assume that it was because the Senju and the Uchiha were on the verge of destroying each other, but this is only partly true. While the cease fire did help to keep the two clans from damaging one another's numbers, the real reason was because of a much greater threat: one that was close to annihilating both the Senju and the Uchiha completely."

"What was it?" Naruto asked. "Was it the Bijuu?"

"Not what," the commander said shaking his head, "who?"

"There was someone else more powerful than both the Senju and Uchiha?" Shikamaru asked voicing his surprise.

"Who could that possibly be?" Shino asked voicing the unspoken question.

The commander looked at the men in the room before his eyes stopped on Naruto.

"The Uzumaki."

* * *

><p>Tsunade sighed contently as she sat back in her chair. It had been a hard morning but as of right now, the evil demon known as paper work was done. Bringing a cup to her lips, she took a long sip of –surprisingly enough –tea and let out another sigh.<p>

"I second that!" Renge said from the couch, a cup of the same tea in her own hand.

Tsunade smirked and set her cup down. "How's the brat's training going?"

Renge couldn't help the evil grin that spread across her face and Tsunade shivered involuntarily. "It's going exceptionally well."

"_Yeah but for whom?"_ Tsunade wondered feeling bad for the blonde.

"I'm surprised you let Hiashi take Hinata away from your training."

"I was a little miffed at first but when he told me what he was going to be teaching her I realized that it couldn't have been more perfect. So, I let it slide." Renge replied with a shrug.

"And what would that be?"

Renge just gave the blonde a knowing grin. "Clan secret darling."

Tsunade just grunted and made a mental note to have some of the Anbu figure out what it was. She was the Hokage after all, knowing everything about everyone in her village was important. "If you say so."

Renge rolled her eyes but decided to change the subject. "So, have you given any thought as to who will be on the information retrieval mission at the Valley of the End?"

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is no." Tsunade said ending the conversation before it could begin.

"But she's his teammate, Tsunade-chan. It isn't right to keep him off of this mission."

"I don't care." Tsunade said setting her cup down. "The Akatsuki's goal is to capture the Bijuu and we're sending people to meet a mole in their organization. What if she's followed? They could have allowed her to infiltrate just so they could have her tailed and ambush the meeting in hopes of having Naruto there. I won't allow it, it's too risky."

Renge sighed but relented. She knew he wasn't going to enjoy hearing that. "He's going to be furious."

"He'll get over it," was all Tsunade said with a shrug. "He needs to learn to start looking at the bigger picture and not what's happening in the now."

Renge could only nod in agreement. "We're working on that."

"It's showing." Tsunade nodded, unable to keep the appreciation from her voice. Since Naruto took control of the Hyuuga Affair, the blonde Hokage had been able to focus all of her time with other matters. It had been a huge help having such a heavy burden lifted from her shoulders.

"So…when you gonna give him the seat?" Renge asked, reading her counterpart's face.

Tsunade smirked. "After this war. If we both survive."

Renge let out a whistle. "Givin' his old man a run for his money then. That'll make Naruto-kun the youngest this village has ever had."

"He's earned it. That and he'll have more than enough experience by then."

Renge nodded her head but kept her grin. That reckless, carefree grin. Tsunade could have sworn it had to have been a trait in the Uzumaki clan. Every Uzumaki she had ever met had it, and it sure as hell was contagious.

Her brief reverie was interrupted when there was a knock at the door.

"Tsunade-sama," Suki said as she poked her head in the door, "Hyuuga Neji is here. He wishes to discuss some matters with you."

Tsunade groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose. Kami was this man persistent! "Send him in."

Suki nodded her head and closed the door to retrieve Neji.

"Something you two don't agree on?" Renge asked curious.

"You have no idea." Tsunade muttered.

Neji stepped through the door a second later. "Hokage-sama." He said with a respectful bow. "Thank you for seeing me." He then glanced over at the couch and stopped abruptly. "Renge-sama." He said with another bow, but there was a gleam in his eye.

This didn't escape Tsunade's notice. "Is this a private matter?"

"Yes." Neji nodded. "But I believe it would be very beneficial for Renge-sama to hear this as well."

Now Tsunade was on the defensive. Neji was planning something. "What do you want Neji?" She didn't try to hide the irritation in her voice. "I've already told you that we are done discussing Karin."

From the corner of her eye Tsunade caught Renge going stiff for a brief moment at the mention of the prisoner's name. In the pit of her stomach, an uneasy borderline nauseous feeling was beginning to bubble.

"But Hokage-sama, I never told you why I asked for the DNA test." Neji said in a pleading voice.

"I don't care." Tsunade said preparing to motion to the Anbu in the office. "This discussion is over."

"But Hokage-sama—"

"—This discussion is over Neji!" Tsunade yelled. In a flash an Anbu appeared on either side of Neji, grabbing him by the arm. "Escort Neji-san out of the building." She commanded.

The two started to force Neji towards the door, but the Hyuuga would have none of it. He struggled to stay where he was and began yelling.

"This isn't just about me Tsunade! This is about Naruto too! I don't know why you're so hell bent on trying to keep this quiet but I won't stand for it! Naruto deserves to be happy! I owe it to him! We all do!"

The Anbu seemed to freeze at hearing Neji's outburst and they turned to Tsunade to see what she'd say.

"_For god's sake he's turning my own Anbu against me!"_ Tsunade cried out in frustration.

"What's this got to do with Naruto?" Tsunade asked narrowing her eyes. At hearing this question the Anbu released Neji but still remained alert.

After taking a moment to compose him Neji took a deep breath and answered. "I believe that the prisoner, who goes by the name of Karin, is of Uzumaki descent."

Before Tsunade could say anything she was interrupted by Renge. "How do you know this?" She asked as she was up from the couch and moving across the room in a second. "What makes you suspect such a thing?"

"My eyes." The Hyuuga explained. "The Byakugan allows me to see similarities in chakras, indicating a familial relationship between kinsmen."

"And you're saying you see one between this Karin and Naruto?"

"No." Neji shook his head. "Not just Naruto, but Jihibiki and you too Renge-sama. Especially in you."

Renge was silent for a moment. "Tsunade…" She started as she turned to her counterpart.

"I can't," was all the blonde said.

"Why not?" Neji and Renge said at the same time.

"Because it costs too much time and money!" Tsunade yelled. Why couldn't they understand that? "There is a war on the horizon, approaching closer and closer each day! I'm in the middle of trying to prepare this village for that, which, I might remind you, is still in the process of rebuilding! I just can't spend the time or the money focusing on something else!"

The room was silent for a long moment. Nobody said anything; they just simply stared at one another. Neji with a mix of emotions ranging from angry to understanding, Tsunade with one of finality, and Renge with cold contempt.

"Don't have the time…" Renge echoed in a whisper. She suddenly scoffed so loud in the deafening silence that it made Neji and the two Anbu jump. "Dear god you sound just like him all those years ago."

Neji looked confused but Tsunade instantly had a look of regret on her face. "Renge…" She said softly. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Save it!" Renge yelled. "The boy's right! You owe it to Naruto! You owe it to us! You owe it to Uzushio!"

Tsunade said nothing. She simply stared at her desk like a scolded child.

"Come Neji." Renge said as she whirled around and made for the door. "Let's go see this Karin."

"But…the DNA test?" Neji asked in confusion as he trailed behind the aged woman.

"Fuck the DNA test!" Renge snapped as she slammed open the door. "I know my own blood when I see it."

The two left the office leaving behind Tsunade and her two Anbu. The silence returned again in full force. It was only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity before it was broken by a small explosion on her desk along with a poof of smoke.

"Katsuyu?" Tsunade said confused.

"Tsunade-sama." The small pale blue and white slug said with a nod. "I have an urgent message from Sakura."

"What?!" Tsunade yelled as she plucked the small scroll that had oozed from her summon. Ripping it open and summoning the real message from smaller one, Tsunade briskly read through the short sentences. When she leaned back in her seat, she rubbed her eyes in exhaustion.

"Thank you very much Katsuyu."

"Anytime, Tsunade-sama." The summon said with a nod before disappearing again.

The room fell to silence once more.

"Orders, Hokage-sama?" The Anbu asked.

"Follow them." She said quietly, motioning towards the door. "And make sure they don't do anything stupid."

The Anbu were gone in a blur and no sooner had they left was Tsunade reaching for the drawer that held her sake bottle. While she was relieved to hear that her apprentice was okay, the message confirmed that things were quickly headed towards a clusterfuck.

God, why couldn't anything ever be easy?

* * *

><p>Hiashi stared hard at the man across from him in his office. No words were spoken, only intense gazes held being held between the two men. After a long pause Hiashi finally spoke.<p>

"I hope you can understand the situation we have been placed in."

"I understand your suspicions." Akesuke said stoically. "And know that if you wish to have me detained or stop with these meetings I'll understand as well."

There was another long pause before Hiashi closed his eyes and sighed. "I trust you Akesuke." The man across from him visibly relaxed. "I just don't understand how they came across such intimate information."

"Neither do I." Akesuke said shaking his head. "I haven't called you that in years. But it makes you wonder."

"Wonder what?" Hiashi asked raising an eyebrow.

"Does this mean my cover is blown?"

The men fell silent once again.

"I want you to stop attending these meetings." Hiashi said after a long silence. "I believe they are on to us. We'll just have to leave the rest to Naruto."

"Naruto?" Akesuke said in surprise. "What is he up to?"

"I didn't tell you before because I was being careful but…it appears that Tsunade has placed Naruto in charge of a countermeasure to stop the rebellion."

"When are they planning to strike?"

"I don't know."

"Hiashi…"

"I'm serious, Akesuke." Hiashi said with a tight face. "I don't know. Only Naruto and a few others know about the operations and what is going on. I don't even think Tsunade-sama knows what's happening."

"I see." Akesuke said with a grim nod. "So all of our faith is being placed in him."

"It's not nearly as bad as it sounds." Hiashi said with a smirk.

"No…" Akesuke said with a smirk of his own. "I suppose not." Standing up Hiashi followed suit and the two shook hands.

"Stay safe Akesuke, I don't need another friend dying on me." Hiashi said seriously.

"I could say the same to you as well old friend." Akesuke said with a smirk. "Keep your family safe."

With nothing more to be said Akesuke took his leave and was on his way. Walking through the compound he decided to stop for a brief lunch when he was halted by a Branch Member.

"Akesuke-sama." The man said with a bow. "Gourzi-sama would like to inform you that there will be a meeting in fifteen minutes. He advises you not be late."

Akesuke's face instantly hardened into one of cold steel causing the Branch Member to flinch. Gourzi had the nerve to challenge him? And to do it so boldly too!

"Tell him I'll be there." Akesuke said icily. He didn't even wait for a response as he made his way towards the secret meeting chamber.

It was time Gourzi learned his place.

* * *

><p>Gourzi was waiting as patiently as he could in the darkened meeting chamber as the other members slowly filed in. As they took their seats, he mentally took note of who had yet to arrive. Even though the lights never reached their faces from where they sat –they're bodies being the only thing illuminated in the dark room –Gourzi knew who was who. They had an almost unofficial assigned seating. When the last person had taken his place, Gourzi scanned the room one last time.<p>

"Where is Akesuke?" He asked.

There were murmurs amongst each other before a Branch Member spoke up. "I delivered the message to him personally, Gourzi-sama. He informed me that he would be here for this meeting."

"Then where is he?" Gourzi snapped, causing the man to flinch.

"You know, if you don't watch out that tone will get you killed one day, Gourzi."

Everyone's attention shifted to the entrance to find Akesuke standing there. His shoulders and face were hidden in shadows but everyone could practically hear the smirk on his face.

"We'll I'm glad you finally graced us with your presence Akesuke." Gourzi said with a sneer. "It would be a shame to miss this meeting seeing as how it has to do with you."

"Oh?" Akesuke asked, his voice still holding an unseen smirk. "How exciting. What about me exactly?"

"About how you've been secretly working for Hiashi as a mole in this group!" Akesuke accused, reveling in the outraged cries and mutters from the others in the group.

When everyone finally seemed to calm down Akesuke spoke. "And what proof do you have of this accusation?" His voice no longer held the smile. Instead, it had been replaced by a cold tone.

Gourzi mistook this as an indication of guilt and grinned madly. "I've had my spies tailing you for quite some time now Akesuke. They've managed to gather quite a bit of evidence against you. You won't be able to talk your way out of this one."

No one said anything for a long time and a tense silence fell on the meeting.

"Then could these spies step forward and present their evidence to this accusation?" Akesuke finally asked.

"Oh I won't be falling for that trick you sly bastard." Gourzi sneered. "I'll keep my spies in the dark to keep their identities a secret."

"Then you must realize that there's nothing you can do to prove this then."

"That's what you think!" Gourzi spat.

"What will you do then? Kill me?"" Akesuke asked. "You know you can't do such a thing. Doing so would alert Hiashi and you can't afford that."

"Not right now, no. But it won't stop me from keeping you detained until the rebellion. Afterwards I can present the evidence and have you executed."

"Hiashi will not allow this." Akesuke said.

"Hiashi won't do shit if you suspects you haven't been killed!" Akesuke countered with a shout.

At that moment, the meeting was interrupted by Zetsu who morphed out of the wall and came to stand off to the side behind Gourzi.

"What is it you want Zetsu, I'm in the middle of something important." Gourzi asked with thinly veiled rage.

"**Madara-sama would like to inform you that you are to proceed to Option Beta."**

"Option Beta? What the hell is that? Explain yourself Zetsu!" Gourzi shouted. His attention was shifted to Akesuke when he heard the man snort.

"Didn't I warn you Gourzi? Some day that tone will get you killed."

The sound of a sharp object swinging suddenly filled the air followed by the squelch of flesh being pierced. Gourzi looked around the room in confusion to see who it was until he noticed everyone staring at him. Looking down, he found a sharp spike of wood protruding from his chest.

In one swift motion Zetsu yank the spike free and Gourzi's world was filled with an explosion of pain as he vision swam and the hole in his chest began to pour blood like waterfall.

"Z-Zetsu? Why?" Gourzi stuttered out in surprised confusion.

"You know what the problem is with people in power?" Akesuke asked as he started to slowly cross the room. He was met with silence as all of the members stared at the slowly dying Gourzi. "They all believe that they can't be touched. That nothing could ever possibly happen to them."

Akesuke came to a stop right in front of Gourzi, who stared up at him with confused and fading eyes.

"That false sense of security makes doing things like this _so _much easier." Reaching out with a hand, Akesuke touched the side of the Gourzi's temple lightly with his finger tips and nudged him gently to the side. The man fell from his chair in a crumpled heap.

"I-I don't understand?" Gourzi gasped out.

"You've fulfilled Madara-sama's use." Akesuke said coldly as he sat down in Gourzi's seat. "The only thing left to do was tie up a loose end."

"But…" Gourzi coughed up a large amount of blood that now trickled down the sides of his mouth. "You work for Hiashi."

"I _worked_ for Hiashi." Akesuke corrected.

When he was met with a confused stare Akesuke grinned. Slowly, the man's face began to morph and change shape. His features began to blend and recede until Gourzi was left staring at a White Zetsu. The shock on the dying man's face was priceless.

"_Madara would like to thank you for your services."_ He extended his hand and motioned to the other members. _"As would the rest of the council."_

Gourzi shifted his head to an odd angle to gaze up at the other members of the council. Too his horror he was met with the insane smiling faces of White Zetsu clones.

"No," was all he could whisper as the ground beneath him started to shift. Roots suddenly sprang from the earth and started wrap around his body.

"**For your generous efforts Madara would like to extend this present to you which you have most certainly earned." **Black Zetsu said sardonically. More roots wrapped around Gourzi's body and began to pull him into the softened ground. **"It's been awhile since I've had real flesh."**

Gourzi's cries echoed throughout the chamber as his body was slowly pulled under dirt. "You can't do this! No! No! No!"

"**Goodbye, Hyuuga Gourzi."**

"NOOOOOOOO –"

The screams died the second Gourzi's head was swallowed by the earth. The Zetsus all looked at each other before nodding in unison and shifting back into their former identities.

So much to do, so little time.

**BOOM! Didn't see that comin' did ya? So I think we can all agree shit just got real complicated. Let me know what you think!**


	28. Welcome to the Family

**A/N: **So how's everyone doin'? Good yea? Great to hear! Another chapter for you and I know a lot of you were looking forward to this chapter so I hope it lives up to what you were expecting. A lot of you also like the "man code." I'm glad you did because I'll be honest, it was soooo much fun writing that bit. Someone asked if Naruto was going to get the talk from Hiashi before the festival. No he will not, I have something better planned…mwhahahaha! Anyways, some responses and then the chapter!

**Whateverdontcare: **Yes there will be a fourth shinobi war. Yes he will get bijuu mode. Kabuto is kinda meh…but he is working with Tobi. I'm glad you enjoy this story so much though!

**Dksamuri:** I'm glad you are enjoying this so much but I don't have a wife lol…at least I don't think I do?

**Last time:** Madara invoked Option Beta, leading to the entirety of the Hyuuga elders being killed and replaced by white zetsu clones as a way to combat the mysterious activity surrounding Naruto's movements. At the same time, Sakura was able to inform Tsunade that by the end of the week she would have a more detailed report of what was happening. Jihibiki called everyone back to the headquarters to give them ninjas tools known only as the Night Angels. During which he explained that the Uzumaki nearly wiped out both the Uchiha and the Senju. While that was happening, Renge finds out thanks to Neji that Tsunade has possibly been detaining another Uzumaki: Karin and leaves with Neji go find out.

**Chapter 27: Welcome to the Family**

"Wha?!" Naruto said reeling back in shock. "Uz-Uzumaki?!"

The room was also left silent as they stared at Naruto in just as much surprise.

"It's true." Jihibiki said breaking the momentary silence. "During the clan wars the Senju and the Uchiha were notoriously known as the strongest and most deadly families. However, all of that changed when we Uzumaki entered the fray.

"Our clan was an isolationist, content with safely living in our village and protected by our infamous whirlpools that guarded the island. Because of this, we were able to build our numbers without worry of conflict. Our clansmen were able to grow and mature, learning vast amounts of knowledge and techniques."

"It was for this reason that both the Senju and the Uchiha were no match for the Uzumaki when they began conquering the coastlands off of Uzushiogakure." The commander said taking over again. "The average age for a child to become a ninja was nine. Of the groups that joined, nearly half were killed by the time they were twelve –the academy entrance age for today. After that the numbers steadily dropped with each passing year. The results were very few ninja ever reaching adulthood."

"But…But I thought they were allies." Naruto said in shock. The rest around him nodded in agreement.

"Oh, we were." Jihibiki said with a nod as he crossed his arms. "But that wasn't until much later. Not until we had both the Uchiha and the Senju on the ropes."

Naruto absorbed this as quickly as he could but still felt his head spinning. What was going on? Since when was his clan so powerful? Why the hell hadn't they learned about _that_ in the academy? Naruto was broken from his revelations when Shino spoke.

"Forgive me for seeming insensitive," the bug user said in his drone, "but why didn't the Uzumaki finish off both clan's if victory was imminent? Why spare them?"

Jihibiki's whole demeanor suddenly shifted as he visibly stiffened before his face suddenly took on a grim visage.

"The Uzumaki was a merciful clan." The commander spoke solemnly. "There was nothing wrong with showing their enemies compassion when they knew they could easily crush them. Because of the Uzumaki's mercy, we stand here today and Konohagakure exists."

"Maybe so," Shikamaru countered, "but nobody thought like that during the clan wars. Anyone would jump at the chance to finish off another clan and reduce the competition." Shikamaru turned his gaze to Jihibiki. "What aren't you telling us?"

The man was silent for a moment before taking a deep slow breath and releasing it. With his head bowed he answered.

"You must understand…" he began quietly, "…that it's never easy to kill your own blood."

"What do you mean?" Sai asked confused. "Was there internal struggling within the Uzumaki clan?"

Jihibiki said nothing. Naruto narrowed his eyes as he thought about what Jihibiki said before they suddenly raised so fast it looked as though his eyebrows might climb up off his face.

"You don't mean…" the blonde whispered.

"Mean what?" Shikamaru asked looking at his blonde commander.

"The Uzumaki…" Jihibiki started quietly. "The Senju…and the Uchiha…are all…relatives."

"What?!" was the collective response from everyone in the room.

Looking up, Jihibiki's age was clear by the look of exhaustion and weariness etched across his weathered face. "Though distant, we all once came from the same family. Technically speaking, we Uzumaki are more closely related to the Senju than the Uchiha, but look at a family tree and we can all trace our roots back eventually to the same clan."

The silence remained as Jihibiki raised his hands and looked at them. "We didn't know at first. How could we? It wasn't until we started doing some digging on the others during the war that we realized where we all originated from. But it didn't matter. Our hands were stained with each other's blood and that was enough for us to immediately call for an armistice."

"So when you called for a cease fire, the fighting stopped?" The commander asked.

The aged Uzumaki nodded his head. "The Senju and Uchiha had already formed an alliance against us. However, when we realized our kinsmen ship and brought forth the evidence we all agreed on a permanent pact. That's how the existence of Konohagakure came to be."

Silence reigned once again on the group as they all fell into thought. It wasn't until after a few moments that Shino broke the silence again.

"As…enlightening as that truly was what does this all have to do with the Night Angels?" The bug user asked as he motioned towards the box.

"Everything." Jihibiki said ominously. The room suddenly seemed to darken and the temperature dropped. "The items before us right now –they are from a time that was left behind long ago." He suddenly looked over at the commander. "Forgive me; I'm interrupting your story."

"It's quite alright Jihibiki-sama." The commander said with a nod. "This story intertwines heavily with your clan's history."

He then turned his attention to the others. "The Night Angels were the first of their kind. The Anbu were derived directly from the organization that existed almost a hundred years ago. They were protectors, a sword and a shield lurking in the shadows. Their identities were held so closely a secret that even the members didn't know one another's faces. Their stealth was unmatched, their speed uncontested, and their power insurmountable. Their names struck fear into every man, woman, and child that ever crossed them. They saw everything, knew everything, and were always close at hand. They where rumored to be gods in human form…and in some ways, they were."

Resting his hand reverently on the box he then continued. "These were the tools used by the men and woman that worked in the true shadows of the world. They were not known by any except the Hokage and their closest associates." Returning his gaze to the box he added, "And sometimes even the Hokage was unaware of their existence."

Placing his hands on either side of the box, the commander undid the latches and opened it. For a few quiet moments the commander stared at the contents of the box. Then, without saying a word, he turned the box around to reveal four masks resting on a deep purple felt cushion. Each one was a different color and held a different facial expression. They were simple expressions yet unsettling to look at. The eyes were nothing more than angled slits as were the mouths but it seemed as if the masks were staring straight into the men's souls.

A collective shiver ran down their spines.

"You feel it don't you." The commander said quietly. "The shear and raw power these masks are imbued with." Sweeping his hand across the box he said, "Gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the Night Angels."

Starting at the far left, he pointed to a white mask that appeared to be smiling. "Mercy."

The next one to the right was a deep navy blue and held the expression of indifference –its' mouth nothing more than a straight line. "Justice."

Next was a charcoal grey mask that was frowning. "Vengeance."

"And last but not least…" he trailed of as his hand hovered over the last mask, "Retribution." This one was different from the others, Naruto realized, as it actually didn't have a face. Where the eyes should have been they were merely sunk in and the mouth seemed to be nothing more than a shallow depression. And yet, it looked like a bottomless void, a dark abyss that sucked in all light. The mask was completely black, but dull crimson lines ran from where the eyes should have been almost as if to represent tears of blood. It was unsettling, and even more so when Naruto realized that the mask seemed to be twisting and contorting.

No. Not the mask itself, but the surface of the mask. The color slowly rose and billowed up, curling in around itself to give off the impression of smoke. The more Naruto tried to focus on it, the less he could see. It was unsettling, and the blonde quickly realized that Retribution wasn't the only one to have this kind of effect. The other three were doing it as well, their colors rising slowly and stretching out before curling in before billowing out again.

"It's a powerful yet subtle genjutsu." The commander said as he watched Naruto inspect the masks. "It allows for the masks and by extension the wielders, to be completely swallowed by the shadows. No one is capable of detecting these masks, not even the most powerful sensor on the planet."

"Why is this last on different?" Sai asked as he pointed to Retribution.

"Because retribution is not one individual ideal or emotion," Jihibiki answered. "It consists of multiple facets. It was for that reason Retribution was depicted as faceless. When you combine Mercy, Justice, and Vengeance you get Retribution. It is the cumulative avatar of the three, for one cannot exist without the others. Without all three, Retribution cannot exist. Together they make up the Night Angels –guardians in the shadows, enforcers of truth, and protectors of the world they cannot exist in."

"So where does our family come in?" Naruto asked.

"The Night Angles were a gift, given to Konohagakure upon its founding, by the Uzumaki." The commander answered. Reaching down he grabbed Retribution and flipped it over. The inside of the mask was a dark wood. Or so Naruto thought. Upon closer inspection he saw the dark color actually came from hundreds of tiny seals etched all over the interior. Every where he looked, complicated inextricable seals stared back at him. His brain hurt just trying to even begin picking them apart. However, each and every seal held a spiraling pattern at its very core. "They were a gift as a way of recompense for killing their own kin. These were the Uzumaki's greatest creations –decades ahead of their time these masks utilize seals that to this day are still a mystery."

"That is unless you're an Uzumaki!" Jihibiki said cheerfully.

"As true as that may be, Jihibiki-sama, there hasn't been an Uzumaki in this village for years that could understand these seals." The commander answered before he trailed off, "Not since Kushina at least…"

"Who?" Shikamaru asked.

"We're getting off topic." Naruto said in a tone that told everyone to focus. Nobody saw the look he shot Jihibiki silently telling him not to say anything. It was still a tender subject for him that he still hadn't quite gotten over. "The Uzumaki gave these masks to Konoha as an apology for nearly wiping out the other clans. What stopped the clans from using these to exact their revenge upon our clan?"

"Hashirama was never one for needless violence." Jihibiki answered. "Both he, his brother, and Uchiha Madara were tired of the constant fighting. While they may have all carried a chip on their shoulders, they all understood the importance of family as well as self preservation. After all, the targets on their backs became significantly bigger once the village was established."

"So rather than use the Night Angels to exact revenge the clans chose to give them to their most loyal and powerful warriors to act as protectors over the village during its' early years." The commander continued.

The room fell silent as the members all stared at the pieces of history before them.

"There are over one hundred seals placed on these masks and contrary to popular beliefs, there is in fact a list of seals that came along with these things." Jihibiki said with a smile.

"Come again?" The commander sputtered as his head whipped towards Jihibiki.

Closing the wooden case, Jihibiki rested his hand on the lid and pulsed his chakra. A red seal suddenly appeared on the top of the box followed by a burst of smoke. When it cleared there was a small leather bound book sitting atop the lid. Picking it up, Jihibiki opened the book and thumbed through the pages before grinning and tossing it over to the commander.

"Here's your 'manual' chief."

The commander caught the book and opened it to a random page before his shoulders visibly slumped and he face palmed. "How...How did they over look this?!"

Jihibiki snickered. "Well…this _was_ Hashirama we're talking about here."

"What are you implying?" Shino asked adjusting his glasses.

"Naruto is the reincarnate of the First Hokage."

"Oh dear lord…" Shino muttered to himself in silent horror.

"SWEET!" Naruto yelled as he fist pumped. "I knew I was amazing, but this takes the cake! Everyone! Bow to the awesomeness that is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Everyone was silent before Sai turned to Jihibiki.

"How?" He asked confused.

"How what?" The elder Uzumaki asked.

"How did the village manage to survive?"

"Besides the fact that Hashirama was stupid strong and a genuinely nice guy?" Jihibiki asked as he tapped a finger to his chin in thought. "He also had his brother to make up for his…how do I put this…lack of brain power…"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto demanded indignantly.

Shino turned towards Naruto and stared at him for a moment before looking back at the rest of the group. "We're doomed."

"You tryin' to say something?" Naruto yelled pointing an accusing finger at Shino.

"_No_, not at _all_." Shino said adjusting his glasses once more.

"Sarcasm?" Sai asked looking to Shikamaru who smirked but nodded anyways.

"Assholes, all of you." Naruto grumbled as he folded his arms and looked away pouting.

"Back to the topic at hand." Jihibiki said clearing his throat. "Each of you will pick a mask that will best compliment your strengths. Each mask grants it's user a different ability. Mercy grants the user the ability to slow time, Justice allows the user to lock on and detect whomever they wish to find, and Vengeance gives the wielder the ability to blunt any weapon and seal their opponent's chakra if they're cut."

"What about Retribution?" Naruto asked looking at the last mask.

Jihibiki was silent for a moment before he answered. "Retribution gives its wielder the ability to cut through anything."

"Anything?" Shikamaru asked slightly unimpressed.

"I mean _anything._" Jihibiki said shooting a quick glare at the Nara. "Blades, armor, chakra –all fall before Retribution's blade…" He trailed off for a moment before adding, "Even someone's soul."

Naruto was about to say something but he was cut off when Hare suddenly appeared kneeling before him.

"Taichou!" He began, "We have a situation!"

A sudden sense of dread filled Naruto as his head snapped to his subordinate. "Report!"

"There's been a break out at the jail, sir!"

"Are the Hyuuga attempting an escape?!" Hare shook his head. "Then what is it?"

The Anbu seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Reports say that it's Hyuuga Neji and Uzumaki Renge that are attempting the jailbreak."

A pin drop could be heard in the room as Naruto as well as everyone else simply stared at Hare. The shock was finally wearing off when Jihibiki asked the same question on everyone's mind.

"The fuck?"

* * *

><p>Karin felt a shiver run through her as she did her best to suppress the cold of her cell. The place was miserable. She hadn't seen Neji in what felt like weeks, and soon after he stopped visiting she was moved to the lower cells of the I.D. which were in a much more decrepit condition. She hadn't been given a reason as to why they had moved her, but she didn't need one. It was clear and obvious as the rising sun. She was down here to waste away, to rot in a prison cell until she finally died.<p>

Stupid Karin. Useless Karin. Always in the way Karin. The names bounced through her head awhile stabbing her in the heart. It was probably best that she died down here, alone. At least that way she wouldn't be in anyone's way anymore. Tears began to slide down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself to preserve warmth and give some form of comfort.

"I hate my life..." She whispered to no one. "I hate everything about it…" More tears fell as she lowered her head.

Suddenly the building was filled with the blaring noise of sirens as well as red lights flashing from the corners of the room. After a few moments of surprise another noise greeted her when the grating noise of rusty hinges swinging open filled the air. It told Karin the door that led to her cell block was being opened. Karin quickly wiped her eyes in a futile attempt to hide that she had been crying. It would only serve to fuel the guards' insults. She had already found out the hard way.

She tried her best to try and see who exactly was coming down the hallway to her cell, but her glasses had been broken and confiscated when she was moved. All she could see where two blurs approaching her, one short and one average height. However, her ears picked up what they were saying and she felt heart freeze.

"You watch me; I'll kill her if I have to."

"_They're here to kill me!"_ Karin thought in fear as she pushed back away from the bars and pressed herself up against the back wall.

She shouldn't have been that surprised, they were obviously out of uses for her. Squeezing her eyes shut as the tears renewed, she tried to convince herself that it was best this way. At least she wasn't going to rot away in this cell. At least she'll have some kind of release from this world she knew as hell. Her only regret would not being able to see Neji just one more time.

"Karin…" The gentle familiar voice had Karin's head snapping up in an instant.

"N-Neji-kun?" Karin asked hopefully. She tried to blink the tears away but her eyesight was still blurry.

"What…What the hell have they done to you?" He asked in horror.

Karin crawled towards the bars slowly. With each shuffle her eyes became clearer and the warming face of Neji slowly began to take form. When she finally made it to the bars, she reached out a frail hand and touched his face gently: afraid that he would disappear if she pressed to hard.

The moment her fingertips pressed to his skin his hand came up and closed around hers. The warmth and strength radiated from his hand and spread out through her filling her with such a sudden shock that tears burst from eyes in full force.

"N-Neji-kun!" She all but shouted in relief as she looked up at him with an exhausted smile. A hand came through the bars and wiped away some of her tears with his thumb.

"I told you I wouldn't forget about you." He murmured to her. His response was choked sobs as she lowered her head slightly. Looking back up at his companion he asked, "Well, is she who we think she is?"

"Stand back!" She ordered.

Karin looked up at the strange short woman with fiery red hair in confusion. Neji gave her a reassuring smile and nodded to her to listen.

Scooting back a few feet, Karin watched as the woman raised her hand as if to do a chop and a thin strip of water formed around the edges, spinning so fast it emitted a high pitched whine almost like a band saw. With two rapid swipes of her hand the bars fell away and Neji stepped into the cell, instantly feeling a drain on his chakra. Chakra absorption seals.

"Are you alright Karin-chan?" He asked rushing towards her. He began checking her over while the woman outside the cell stood watch.

"Hurry up Neji or else getting out will be a lot more difficult." The red head ordered.

"Can you walk?" Neji asked to which Karin shook her head fearfully. "Then hang on."

In one fluid motion Neji had Karin scooped up in his arms bridal style. Karin instantly felt her face flush at the intimate contact and her emotions go out of control. He was risking his life to save her. She mattered to _him._ She was worth something to _him._ Her arms tightened around his neck and Neji looked down in concern.

"Karin-chan are you al–"

The rest was cut off as Karin launched herself upwards with her last bit of strength and claimed his lips. The explosion she felt in her chest was something she had never felt before in her life, and longer she held her lips against his, the better it felt. The initial shock Neji felt from the girl's advances quickly washed away as his grip tightened on the woman in his arms and he returned the kiss full force.

For the briefest moment, the outside world didn't exist as the two shared their kiss. It would have continued on that way too if it wasn't for a sudden clearing of a throat that brought them both out of their revelations.

"As touching as that truly is, I think we should get a move on." The woman teased lightly.

Both of them blushed madly before Neji leapt out of the cell to join his companion.

"W-Who are you?" Karin asked weakly after regaining her surroundings, a blush still present.

The old woman's face went from stoic to soft in a split second as she smiled kindly at her. "Someone who's been searching for you for a very long time dear."

Shouting down the halls caused them all to look up.

"Later, first we need to focus on escaping." Neji said with narrowed eyes.

"Psh, what do you take me for?" Renge asked with a smirk as she started to make a hands seal.

"All of you stop where you are right now!" A voice all but roared at them.

Everyone looked up to see Ibiki standing in the entrance with multiple men behind him. A furious look was on his face and he was clenching his fists in anger.

"By order of the Konohagakure I command you to stop at once! You are breaking so many fucking laws I don't even know where to begin! Stand down and you will not be harmed!" He paused as his eyes narrowed. "I won't ask again."

Renge snorted as she finished her hand seal causing everyone to go for their weapons.

"Eat it baldy!" She shouted with a reckless grin before they disappeared in a flash.

Everyone stood in the entrance of the room in shock before Ibiki cursed and shattered the wall of stone with his fist. "Damn you Hyuuga Neji!"

Karin had no idea what was happening, first she was standing in front of her cell and then the next there was a blinding flash and she was outside of the I.D., standing in the middle of the street surrounded by civilians.

"W-What?" was all the red head could get out as she dizzily looked around.

"N-Neji," Renge gasped out leaning on the Hyuuga, "we need to go." She gasped for more air. "Now!"

"You aren't going anywhere!"

Looking around them, the three realized that all of the civilians had been moved away and they were now surrounded by at least thirty ninjas, all chuunin rank or higher.

Neji cursed under his breath as he activated his Byakugan. "Renge-sama, can you fight?"

"I'm spent." The elder said still breathing hard. "That jutsu takes too much out of me. I didn't expect the village to respond to this so quickly."

"Do you have any ideas? Because I'm open to them right about now."

"Working on it!" Renge panted as she touched her necklace and began pulsing chakra through it. Sending a rapid Mors code message to her husband.

"What were you expecting?" Ibiki's voice rang out causing them all to look behind them. He stood there with his men with a scowl fixed on his face. "What were you planning on doing once you escaped? Where were you going to go? What were you going to do?" Ibiki shook his head disappointedly. "I expected better from you Neji."

Holding out his hand he spoke. "Hand over the prisoner and I won't charge you with treason. This is my first and last offer to you."

Neji tightened hold on the woman in his arms but her soft voice stopped from saying anything.

"Neji-kun, it's alright." Karin said quietly. Neji looked down at her in shock but she refused to meet his gaze. "Please, put me down."

"Karin, I–"

"—Just do it!" She shouted at him with tears in her eyes. "Please. You didn't have to do this…it was too much really…" Looking away she continued quietly. "I'm glad that you did this for me…I glad that I mean something to someone…but I won't let you destroy your future for me!"

Looking up at him she gave him a sad smile. "So please, put me down."

Neji stared at Karin for a long moment, searching her eyes and silently begging her not to do this. But her conviction was too great, and with burdened sigh he closed his eyes and set her down lightly. She wobbled heavily and braced herself against Neji for moment. Giving him one last look, she pushed her lips to his one last time for a short bitter sweet kiss before turning and slowly limping towards Ibiki and his men.

"Take this prisoner and move her to one of the maximum security isolation cells." Ibiki commanded. He then shifted his attention to the other two. "Detain these two for aiding a prisoner." Giving Neji one finally glare he added, "Be thankful that's all you're getting."

Neji watched helplessly with a steel glint in his eyes as the men converged on all three of them. Just as they grabbed Karin they were interrupted by a booming voice that caused them all to freeze. A sudden icy feeling a dread washed over everyone present as the temperature visibly dropped and the very earth began to rumble.

"**I WILL GIVE YOU EXACTLY FIVE SECONDS TO TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF MY FAMILY!"**

* * *

><p>Tsunade stared at the scroll before turning her gaze back to Samui and her group. What she was reading was unprecedented, it was history in the making, and –in her opinion –the stupidest decision she had ever seen.<p>

"Why is he doing this?" Tsunade asked gesturing to the scroll. "Having both Jinchuriki here would make Konoha a massive target!"

"The Raikage understands this Hokage-dono," Samui said with a small bow. "But he also believes that from here we can send the two Jinchuriki into hiding."

"Then why the hell can't they just meet at the destination?" Tsunade yelled slamming her hands down on the desk. "Need I remind that impulsive man that my village is still recovering?! I can't be putting a target on my people's back!"

"I understand Tsunade-sama." Samui said gently, doing her best to coax the juggernaut of a woman down. "I agree with you completely, I'm just following my orders. Besides, Killer Bee-sama was rather…persistent that he comes here for the festival." She closed her eyes and braced herself for the blowup that was about to come.

"That's why he's coming here?!" Tsunade yelled crushing her desk in anger. "He's coming because he wants to enjoy the festival!"

"Hokage-sama…" Samui started but shut her mouth when she was leveled with a withering glare.

"No! I don't care if he is the commander of the alliance! I refuse to allow something like this to happen!"

Samui was at a loss for words. She wasn't used to dealing with this kind of thing. Sure she was used to the Raikage and Bee-sama's impulsiveness, but she was completely unprepared with how to deal with the pure rage that was being emitted by the woman in front of her.

"Um…Hokage-sama, if I may?" Omoi asked hesitantly. "Killer Bee-sama is actually quite famous in Kumo as well as the surrounding elemental areas for his…" he trailed off looking for the correct word, "music."

The other two visibly flinched at Omoi's description but he continued. "Bee-sensei would be more than willing to put on a concert. I know that it would make your village a target, but the ticket sales could potentially give you a significant increase in revenue to help the village recover."

This stopped Tsunade's rampage for a moment. She couldn't deny that the extra income would greatly help with the village's recovery, but she wasn't about to put innocent and defenseless lives on the line just for money.

"That won't be enough." Tsunade said folding her arms and looking at the three. "I need something else to ensure that my village will be protected." Walking over to the window she peered out over the village before continuing. "Tell the Raikage that if he wants your Jinchuriki to come here he's going to have to ensure my village is protected."

"What do you request?" Samui asked politely.

"I want a platoon from each village here to guarantee the protection of my village." Tsunade said after much debate.

"What are you insane?!" Karui blurted out before slapping a hand over her mouth in shock and fear. Tsunade turned to her and raised an eyebrow.

"I will forward your request, Tsunade-sama." Samui said with a bow.

"See that you do." The Hokage replied before an Anbu appeared before her kneeling.

"Hokage-sama, we have a situation at the I.D."

Tsunade's eyes widened as her stomach dropped. "What happened?" she demanded.

"A prisoner has escaped."

"On me now!" Tsunade shouted as she ran from the room. In an instant four Anbu surrounded her as they sprinted away.

The Kumo nins looked at one another before Omoi pointed at the door. "Should we?"

"Yes." Samui said with a nod and the three chased after the leader of the hidden village.

* * *

><p>Everyone turned towards the voice to see their favorite blond stalking towards them; black muscle t-shirt stretched taunt across his chest, red cloak with black flames billowing in the wind, and red slitted eyes glaring menacingly somehow at everyone at the same time. Trailing behind him was Shikamaru, Sai, Shino, Jihibiki, and the Anbu. Even they seemed to keep their distance from the furious blonde.<p>

Naruto's eyes rolled over everyone before coming to a rest on the two who were holding Karin. His glare intensified tenfold and the ground began to quake under his pressure. In an instant the two men released Karin and took a step back as the red head slumped to the ground. They continued to back away as Naruto approached them and then placed himself directly in front of her.

"Naruto what is the meaning of this!" Ibiki demanded. This was getting out of control!

"I'm here to greet my long lost family member and take her home." Naruto said firmly.

"W-What?" Karin said in confusion as she glanced up at the blonde.

She wasn't the only one confused though; everyone stared at Naruto in shock. There were more Uzumaki? Ibiki was the first to recover.

"I don't care if she's a family member or not, she's a prisoner of the Hidden Leaf and any interference will result in your detainment." Ibiki's eyes narrowed. "I don't care if you are the hero of the village, we have rules and you _will_ abide by them."

The tension in the air increased as everyone was pushed closer to the edge. It was one thing to fight a Hyuuga and a winded old lady. It was a completely different story having to face off against the man who had defeated the leader of a terrorist organization consisting of S-class ninja and who single handedly destroyed the entire village with one jutsu. Needless to say, avoiding confrontation was on everyone's minds.

Naruto snorted at Ibiki's threat and turned his back to the man, blatantly dismissing him as any kind of possible threat. Crouching down, he gave Karin an eye blinding smile.

"Hi! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! It's nice to finally meet a family member that _isn't _as old as a fossil!"

An indignant "hmph" from Renge and cry of dismay from Jihibiki were heard but he ignored them.

Karin just stared at the insane blonde grinning down at her. One minute he appeared as if he were about to massacre everyone and the next he was smiling warmly down at her.

"F-Family?" Karin stuttered out in confusion.

Naruto threw his head back and laughed. "You're too cute, you stutter just like Hinata-hime!"

Karin blushed slightly before looking to Neji for help. Said Hyuuga shook himself from his shock before moving forward and helping her up.

"Naruto, I wanted to tell you sooner but I–" Neji started but was cut off as Naruto raised a hand.

"It's fine Neji." He then leaned in and looked him dead in the eyes. "Thank you for looking out for her."

They were interrupted from their little talk when Ibiki shouted at them.

"Naruto, this is your last chance to stand down! I will arrest you just as I will arrest everyone else!"

Naruto whirled around on the spot and glared so hard at the scarred man that he flinched.

"You and I both know you can't do that even if you wanted to!" he hissed. Ibiki was about to give a retort when Naruto cut him off. "No matter how much the leaves demand it; the mighty oak's trunk does not sway to its' the branches."

Ibiki shut his mouth in an instant and glared at Naruto. The message, an old Anbu code meaning executive order, was loud and clear.

Back the fuck off, you're out of your jurisdiction.

Even _if_ Ibiki wanted to do something, he couldn't. The blonde in front of him was into something, something far more important than what was apparently going on now.

"It's true Ibiki." The commander voiced stepping out from the crowd. Whispers quickly circulated amongst the ninja as Ibiki stared at the commander for a moment before sighing in defeat.

"Whatever." The man said gruffly. Turning on his heels, he was about to enter when a new voice stopped everyone.

"Just what the hell is going on here?"

Everyone turned to see the newest arrival, the Hokage, and she was looking none too pleased about the sudden alarm.

"Oh nothing much Baa-chan." Naruto said with a wave. "Just taking the newest family member home."

Tsunade's eyes fell upon Karin and hardened. "Naruto, you know that woman is a criminal."

Naruto's eyes suddenly matched hers and he growled. "And _you_ knew she was related to me but said nothing, didn't you!" He accused.

Tsunade flinched but recovered quickly. "She was working for the Akatsuki, Naruto! We couldn't afford any kind of distractions!"

Karin suddenly felt like she had been punched in the gut as all the air left her and her knees went weak. Uzumaki Naruto, container of the Kyuubi and the man they were supposed to be hunting. That's why the name sounded so familiar when he introduced himself! She was done for. There would be no forgiveness for what she had done. Her only family left and she was hunting him down. Her grip tightened on Neji unconsciously and he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

"I don't care." Naruto stated shocking everyone present save for everyone that new the blonde personally. "What matters now is that she's home!"

Tsunade's fists clenched together in frustration. _"Damn that Uzumaki stubbornness!"_

"I won't let her roam freely in Konoha! She will return to prison!" Tsunade shouted. "I won't let the village become endangered just because she's a family member! She's still a threat! She still was working for the Akatsuki!"

"I will personally burn this village to the ground if that's what it takes!" Naruto all but screamed as his eyes pulsed to red. "_No one_ will lay a hand on my family!"

Everyone present stared at Naruto in a mixture of fear and awe. Tsunade the most, her mouth agape as she stared at the blonde boy she had tried to look after and raise as best she could. He was openly admitting that he would commit treason.

"N-Naruto…" Tsunade whispered.

His bangs shadowed his eyes as his fists clenched together. "We are Uzumaki! We stick together! We fight as one and we die as one!" Looking up, he stared at Tsunade with conviction as he jabbed a thumb into his chest. "As long as there is breath in this body, as long as there is a beat to my heart, as long as there is strength in these fists, I will defend every last one of my kinsmen!" Leveling his adoptive mother with a glare he finished, "I swear on my life that I will."

The tension in the air grew to be stifling and several of the shinobi around them began to shuffle anxiously. Tsunade attempted to overpower Naruto with a withering stare but he gave it right back without breaking a sweat. Two immense powers were battling it out silently, and you could almost see the invisible forces of their wills pushing against each other in a test of strength. It was nerve-wracking, the most powerful ninja in the village, they're leader, was battling it out with the only other person that could possibly threaten her. And he was refusing to listen to a direct order. If this erupted for whatever reason the devastation would be wide scale, nothing would be able to escape their destruction.

Finally Tsunade closed her eyes and shook her head. "You do this Naruto, this will be on you."

"I'm fine with that." Naruto retorted. "Consider this me calling in that favor."

Staring at him for a moment, Tsunade then turned and began walking away, but not before saying just loud enough for him to hear, "She's your responsibility. Consider us even."

"Thank you." Naruto said gruffly to which he received no reply.

There would be repercussions for this later, in a private setting like her office, but it could wait.

With that everyone let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Closing his eyes Naruto took a breath before letting it out and turning around with a smile. Walking over to Karin he was joined on either side by Jihibiki and Renge.

"What's your name?" Naruto asked gently with a soft smile.

The red head looked up at Neji for a moment. Seeing him nod she gulped and answered. "K-Karin."

Naruto's eyes lit up as a reckless grin broke out across his face and he extended his hand to her. "Well, shall we go home then, Karin?"

Karin stared at his hand before looking up at his eyes. In a split second the same reckless grin spread across her face as well and nodded her head. Walking up to her, he wordlessly offered her his back which she climbed on to. Joined on either side by the elders, they began their trip back to his apartment. Riding across the strong shoulders of the blonde man that had come to her rescue, she basked in the overwhelming light that poured from inside of him. She could feel her limbs and eyes getting heavy as the emotional and physical stress finally caught up to her. He was comforting, warm, and strong and Karin felt the protection radiate from him. As she rested her cheek on his shoulder she heard him call out to her.

"Hey…"

"Hmm?" She answered sleepily.

He turned his head slightly and looked at her with the smallest yet most genuine smile ever. "Welcome to the family, Uzumaki Karin."

Karin cried the rest of the way home. But for the first time in her life, they were tears of happiness.

Neji watched them leave as a smile broke out across his own face. Turning the opposite direction, he suddenly found the urge to train. Hard. So hard that he wouldn't be able to walk home.

So without wasting any time he hurried home to grab Hiashi and begin training again. Those who he wished to protect had just increased, and so had his need to train.

Up on the rooftops the commander as well as Boar and Hare watched everyone go their separate ways.

"Well I suppose that it's a good thing the Taichou found a new family member." Boar said with a shrug.

"But was it worth it?" The commander asked nobody in particular.

"Sir?" Hare asked not understanding.

"The enemy will not have missed this. They will have seen this conflict between the Taichou and the Hokage and they will try to exploit it. This could prove to be dangerous."

"I guess we'll have to wait and see." Boar said as all three of them looked out across the village.

On the horizon thunder boomed as dark ominous clouds slowly approached the village, the towering structures billowing and twisting around slowly –ever changing, strength hidden, and promising destruction. The men could help but shake the foreboding feeling of imminent bloodshed.

**A/N:** So there you have it! The Uzumaki are now officially all together! I was really trying to get the standoff between Tsunade and Naruto to be a tense one as well as believable. I'm pretty sure that would be a natural reaction for him as well as Tsunade. I needed them to butt heads on this and I hope it worked. Let me know what you think! Oh, and I hope you guys enjoyed the little Nej/Kar moment!


	29. The Demon's Demons

**A/N: Hey all! Sorry this chapter seemed to take so long. With how short it is I know it's not that fair but in all honesty it was a helluva lot bigger…but I didn't like it and decided to break it up. What does this mean for you? In one week, you will have another update, promise. You may commence in the celebrations now (stands by as you all wave your hands in the air and dance). Now a couple of you actually were concerned with the standoff between Naruto and Tsunade and what that would entail. As always, there is a reason for that.**

**Whateverdontcare: **1st- Yes, in this fic Kurama did love Kushina. Not in a "romantic" kind of way but in a "two hurt souls finding solace in one another" kind of way. I will be shedding more light on their relationship in the future so no worries there. 2nd- The fight for Kurama's chakra will go much differently compared to cannon. 3rd – As my idol and writing sensei, Brent Weeks, has taught –let the good guys die. Let them fail in their plans. Let them not see a huge blind side coming. Why? Because it makes them more human and at the same time really builds the suspense. Will they stop the attack? Will they find out in time? It leaves you the reader caring a lot more about what will happen next. Things don't always go according to plan. 4th – Relax, you were taking the "Naruto being the 1st reincarnated" a little too seriously. Lol. It was a joke at Naruto's intelligence, nothing more.

**Hektols: **I agree whole heartedly with you about having Neji and Renge not break into the prison. However, I was trying to portray the reckless and impulsive streak the Uzumakis seem to possess. Lol.

**Bookwarnedbookworm:** It's all good, I planned on doing that as well. Just not to that extreme. Karin is an Uzumaki after all.

**Lastly, to the guest that left a anonymous review regarding my update time frames. While I'm ecstatic to hear that you love this story, I'm afraid I can't accommodate to your demands about a regular update. My life is extremely hectic and constantly fluctuating. I firmly believe in quality over quantity, so I'm sorry to say that I would rather take a longer period of time writing something great instead of updating frequently with crap. Other than that, I hope you continue to enjoy!**

**Chapter 28: The Demon's Demons**

The raging winds were the first clue that Naruto was upset.

They shook Kurama from his troubled nap and instantly put him on guard. The next hint was the sudden tug on his chakra, not much at all, but enough to give only a slight boost in power. This had Kurama confused as to what was happening outside. He was about to stretch out his senses to find out when something else caught his attention.

From all directions a sudden ethereal shout faded in and out over the raging winds. The dark clouds overhead began to twist and turn until they were finally moving slowly in a circle some distance away. That was all the giant fox needed to see to realize what took precedence.

Jumping to his feet, he took off in the direction of the strange cloud formation. But the entire way there, in the back of his mind Kurama felt a dark presence slowly building. Slowly growing stronger the closer he got.

When Kurama finally arrived the clouds overhead were swirling fast enough to be a tornado. Stalking to the edge of the tree line, his eyes widened in shock at the pure malice that emanated from the clearing. But to his surprise there was nothing there. Or at first glance it looked that way at least. It wasn't until Kurama caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned did he see something peculiar that he couldn't exactly explain.

Trickling along the ground leading towards the clearing was a trail of oil that seemed to have the viscosity of water. It glistened and shimmered in the low light and that's when the fox realized it was everywhere. It was dripping out of the trees, seeping out of the ground, and even condensing from the air. It was then, Kurama noticed, that there was something in the clearing.

The ooze was slowly coalescing together to form puddle, which was steadily growing larger and larger by the minute. And from that puddle a strange ambiance was being given off. Kurama would have sworn that there was no such thing as black light, but looking at the clearing now –it was the only way he could describe it. It pulsed out in unsynchronized patterns, and leached all color within its grasp turning it to some hue of black. It was concerning, worrisome, and above all, unnatural.

Returning his gaze to the black rivers, Kurama hesitantly took a single claw and laid it across the strange liquid. The ooze flowed up his claw as if to go over the obstacle, but just as it reached its peak it suddenly halted. Kurama watched in odd fascination before suddenly jerking back in a mixture of shock and pain as the sludge shot up his hand and then seeped through his fur and into his skin. Letting out roar of anguish, Kurama thrashed around in pain, clawing furiously at his infected hand. The feeling of magma running underneath his skin while being stabbed repeatedly was the only way he could describe it.

Then, as suddenly as the pain started it vanished. But with it came all the emotions he had tried to bury for the past two decades, slowly bubbling to the surface.

A flash a red hair. A melodious laugh. A reckless grin and a pair of twinkling, defiant, violet eyes smiling. A strong voice full of convicted words.

"_We'll always have each other…You'll never be alone…I promise…"_

"**You lied to me…Kushina…"** Kurama muttered out as his strength left him and he slumped to the ground. **"You left me."**

The pain he felt now was nothing the physical type could ever match. The despair and hopelessness he felt was something he had been trying to avoid for the past sixteen years. How could she do that to him? She promised. She promised they'd never be lonely. And now all he had was himself, trapped in a hell that constantly reminded him of what he lost. An empty shell with a hole where his heart once was. Another roar ripped from his throat, but this time it was one of sorrow as he lowered his head and began to weep.

All was quiet until a soft voice broke the silence.

"Kurama…"

The demon's head snapped up so fast he nearly broke his own neck. Looking towards the spot where the voice had come from his eyes widened in shock. The clouds were gone and the foliage was beginning to bud again as green life started to sweep through the once dead clearing. The black goo was gone with no traces to be found. But what he did find standing before him nearly stopped his heart.

"**K…Kushina?" **He asked in disbelief.

Standing in the center of the area, barefoot and smiling, was the woman that caused him so much pain and loneliness. Her magnificent red hair flowed slowly in a nonexistent breeze and she held out a soft pale hand to him.

"Kurama," She said softly with a radiant smile, "it's been so long."

"**How?"** Kurama asked in confusion as he stared at the woman. She looked exactly like she did on the night she had died nearly sixteen years ago –as if nothing had ever happened and it was nothing more than a bad dream.

"Come here Kurama, I've missed you so much." Kushina whispered with a sad smile.

Kurama didn't remember getting up. Nor did he remember slowly moving towards the woman he held so close to his heart. Before he knew it he was within feet of her out stretched hands though. But all he could do was stare into those violet eyes that he remembered were always so warm and loving –full of understanding and joy that always made him feel at ease.

And yet, as he drew closer and closer something in the back of his head became restless. It started out as uneasiness but by the time he was a few feet away from her his instincts were practically screaming at him. It was these instincts that made him waver when he was just out of reach.

"What's wrong, Kurama-kun?" Kushina asked taking notice.

"**How are you here?"** Kurama asked slowly.

Kushina gave one her laughs that always made him smile and irritated him at the same time. One that said she was laughing at you but only because you were doing something cute or adorable. "I'm not really sure, but does it matter? I'm here now aren't I?"

Kurama wasn't convinced, even when she gave him a smile that nearly made his chest burst from all of the painful memories it dredged up. But regardless, he was still cautious. Nearly a hundred years spent sealed away made him that way. It paid to be cautious.

"**I watched you die, Kushina. There's no way you should be here."**

Kushina's face flickered briefly to irritated, before instantly changing to sadness. Pulling her hands back to her chest she spoke quietly.

"You…You don't want to see me?" She asked unable to hide the pain in her voice.

"**No, it's not that! I'm just saying I don't understand!"** Kurama said quickly.

Kushina turned slightly away from him, tears becoming present in her voice. "Have you already forgotten about me?"

"**Kushina I would never forget about you!" **Kurama tried to reassure as he took a step forward.

"Then why are you staying away from me? Come here Kurama, please. I've missed you so much! I've been so lonely…"

Kurama hesitated and Kushina turned to him. But when he looked in her eyes he froze. Tears were threatening to spill, but they weren't normal. They were black, just like what he had seen earlier.

"**There's…something wrong with you."** Kurama said taking a half step back.** "You're not right."**

"Please, Kurama." Kushina said as the ink like tears began to fall down her cheeks. "Come here." When the fox didn't move her face suddenly snapped to one of rage and the black liquid burst from her eyes like waterfalls. **"I SAID COME HERE!"**

In a flash Kushina swiped at his throat. It was only because of Kurama's instincts that her hand only grazed by, but in that instant everything changed. The world that surrounded them faded away to reveal the dead clearing. There was now a collection of the black substance the size of small pond in the center and standing there in the middle of it was Kushina –or at least what used to be her. Kurama watched in horror as the woman slowly began to bleed the black liquid from every orifice of her body and her skin paled to a deathly white as her clothes rotted away. It was like watching a corpse in fast forward and it scared Kurama to no end. But that wasn't the worst part. The moment Kushina's hand had touched his throat the pain from before came back in full force.

Stumbling away, Kurama felt something running down his face. Confused he looked down to see the same black substance falling from his own face. Panicking, he brought a hand to his face and felt the substance coming from his eyes. A sudden tickling in the back of his throat sent him into a coughing fit until it finally ended with him hacking up a huge glob of the same black liquid, and just like before, once the substance hit the ground it began to make its way towards the ever growing collection in the center of the clearing.

"**W-What the fuck are you?"** Kurama asked looking up at the being before him in utter shock and horror.

With an unearthly wail the thing that was once Kushina imploded in on itself and the collection of black ooze at its feet.

All was silent for a brief moment before there was another shriek and it exploded outwards again. This time bearing no face –or form for that matter. It was simply a blob of black liquid, constantly morphing. It had a head and two arms, as well as a chest, but after that it just melted down into ground where the pond was, constantly feeding itself with the dark matter that bubbled up around it. The amebic creature turned its head towards Kurama and let out another shriek before launching its arm at the fox which extended to an unnatural length.

But it didn't matter. Kurama was already on the move, putting distance between him and that…that _thing_ the second he saw its true form.

Once he was a safe distance away, Kurama drug himself over to a stream and looked at his reflection. The black substance continued to run from his eyes and before long it was dripping into the stream only to be washed away.

"**Okay."** He said after a minute of silence. **"Looks like I'm gonna have to talk to him."** His gaze shifted up to the sky, where almost a mile away the clouds were spinning viciously in a circle and a strange light was radiating up into them.

* * *

><p>Karin didn't remember the trip to Naruto's apartment. In fact, she wasn't even conscious when they arrived having succumbed to her emotions. Naruto and the others wordlessly moved through his apartment when they arrived and went straight to his room. Laying her down on his bed, Naruto moved to his closet and grabbed a spare track suit before setting it down next to the red head.<p>

"Can you clean her up and look after her for a bit?" Naruto asked quietly looking towards Renge.

"Of course." Renge whispered with a nod and smile. "Leave a clone though; there are a few things I need to look into soon. That way if I have to leave I can let you know."

Naruto nodded and motioned for Jihibiki to follow him out of the room to give the two women privacy. Once they made it to the living room Naruto made his way towards the kitchen to make some tea.

Jihibiki said nothing as he watched the blonde move through the kitchen, quietly getting everything together. Silence was the only thing between the two and it was becoming increasingly stagnant. For ten solid minutes, Jihibiki stood there staring at Naruto's back as he stared at the pot waiting for the tea to be done. The quietness of the room increasing in volume until it was booming in their ears. When the tea was finally done Naruto flinched hard, the sudden screeching shrill feeling like it nearly ruptured his eardrums.

With a shaky hand Naruto picked up the pot, but the jostling was so hard that he didn't even attempt to pour it. He simply stood there, quivering in place until Jihibiki's voice broke the silence.

"Naruto…"

"…It really got heavy back there didn't it?" Naruto whispered setting the pot down. He didn't turn around though, keeping his back turned to his grandfather.

"Do you regret what you said back there?"

"Never."

"Are you scared?"

Naruto bowed his head. "Hell yes."

There was a pause between the two before Jihibiki spoke again. "Don't worry, Tsunade-chan won't do anything too bad."

"That's not what I'm afraid of." Naruto whispered causing Jihibiki to look at him strangely. The blonde caught it out of the corner of his eye and chuckled. "I know, I know: any sane person would be scared of her. But that's not what scares me."

Turning around, Jihibiki was met with the fierce conviction of Naruto's gaze. "What scares me is that I meant _every word _I said."

Jihibiki said nothing as he walked over to Naruto and poured two cups of tea. Handing one to the blonde he then smiled at him. "I'm glad to see you so dedicated to this family. However, I can't help but feel there is a 'but' coming soon…"

Naruto peered into his glace and stared at his tiny reflection. "…But a Hokage is supposed to look after everyone in this village, no matter what. It's their duty. They can't pick and choose who and what they'll protect when it's convenient for them."

"You're right." Jihibiki said bluntly causing Naruto to scowl and glare up at him. "But answer me this. Do you believe that Karin-chan is a good person?"

Naruto was quite for a moment. He didn't know her. Hell, he didn't know anything about her. Her likes, hobbies, habits, none of it he knew. All he knew was that she had worked for the Akatsuki in the past. But the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced she was a good person. The way Neji insistently defended her and the tears she shed on the way home were more than enough of an answer. He didn't know why or how, but it just felt right in his gut.

Looking at Jihibiki with certainty he nodded. "Yeah, I do think she is."

"Then you already said it yourself." Jihibiki said with a shrug. "It's true that a Hokage can't pick and choose what works for them, but you also said that it's their job to defend each and every person in this village. If you truly believe that Karin is a good person, and undeserving of what they were trying to do to her, then it's the Hokage's duty to step in and stop it. If it means the entire village turns against them and ends up burning, so be it."

Taking a step forward, the old man raised a fist and thumped the side of it against Naruto's chest. "Never lose your conviction, Naruto. You've spent your entire life living with and by it. Don't give it up now. The Hokage doesn't bend to the wills of the evil just like the sun doesn't submit to the night." Stepping back, Jihibiki gave him a grandfatherly look and added softly, "Good people don't deserve to suffer. That's why these villages were formed in the first place."

Naruto took a deep breath and then let it out before nodding. He was right after all, an innocent person never deserved to suffer. Although Karin may have had a shaky past, he truly did believe deep down she was a good person. If he was the only one that ended up defending her then so be it.

The two continued to drink their tea in comfortable silence until the sound of Naruto's bedroom door shutting drew their attention to Renge as she stepped into the living room.

"I changed Karin-chan and cleaned her up a little. It looks like she'll be out for awhile." Renge answered as she moved to them and grabbed herself a cup of tea. "What will you do now?"

Jihibiki looked at Naruto. The blonde looked back at his grandfather before raising a hand to his arm and focusing.

"_Return to base."_ He pulsed with his chakra through the seal.

"We're going." Naruto said as he set his cup down and placed a hand on Jihibiki's shoulder. "I believe the Night Angels have a village to protect."

They were silent for a moment before all three of them grinned at the same time. That reckless grin spreading across their lips as mischief shimmered in their eyes.

"Give 'em hell." Renge whispered.

In a flash of light the two disappeared from the room, leaving Renge alone with nothing more than a cup of tea and grin that was threatening to split her face.

They were back.

The Uzumakis were back.

* * *

><p>Now it's common knowledge to the world that there were such things as "bad days." However, Kurama learned long ago that there were bad days, and then there were legendary bad days. And if he had to be honest with himself, it was definitely shaping up to be one of those.<p>

Standing before the fox was that thing. That black, sludge like being that he thought he lost back in the clearing. Somehow it had managed to sneak up on him while he was trying to recover, and now he found himself facing off against it once again. However, Kurama was done playing games.

"**I don't know who you are, or what you are for that matter, but you've seriously managed to piss me off!"**

The ground began to tremble as Kurama drew himself to full height, his size increasing drastically until he was towering over the oil based shape shifter. With an angry roar, Kurama raised his clawed hand and brought it down on the strange entity, smashing it into the ground mercilessly. He could feel the thing pop underneath the ferociousness of his attack, splattering in a satisfying way that caused a grin to spread across his muzzle. That was until the pain happened again. But it wasn't just pain this time. This time, he also felt a tug on his chakra as well.

Wrenching his hand back, Kurama snarled at the spot where the creature had been. Slowly, he watched as it reformed itself –trickling back together into a blob until if finally took on its' humanoid shape once again. Only this time it was bigger. But not only that, the presence it carried had become stronger, larger, darker. It confused Kurama until he noticed his hand was dripping the black sludge, seeping from his skin in globs and feeding the monster in front of him.

Growling in frustration, Kurama jumped back to put some distance between the two. **"Fine! If I can't touch you then fine I'll just take care of you indirectly!"**

With a swing of his tails blades of wind shot across the ground, slicing away wide swaths of land and debris. The creature made no move to dodge the attack and took it head on, splattering across the ground in a spray.

"**Let's see you get up from that!"** Kurama taunted with a malicious grin. **"How do you feel now, you freak?" **

For a moment all was still, until the black mass began to move and undulate once again.

"**Okay, no."** Kurama said having reached his limit. One second all was normal –save for the black anomally. The next second Kurama opened his mouth and the black being was met with a wall of flames that quickly engulfed and blew it away. For a solid ten seconds Kurama held it too, spewing the firestorm from his mouth to make sure there was nothing left of it. When he finally finished he had a satisfied grin on his face as he listened to the hissing and crackling of everything burning around him.

"_**Nice try." **_A familiar voice said from before, sounding like multiple voices layered over each other –fading in and out. It made his Kurama's skin crawl. Whirling around, he found the creature staring at him. Not only that but it had grown again, now reaching half of his size.

"_**But you're going to have to try harder if you want to get rid of me."**_ It finished.

"**How are you getting bigger every time I see you?!" **Kurama asked irritated.

"_**Oh come now, you know the answer to that. You just don't want to admit it."**_

Kurama growled at the taunt. **"I have a theory, but I guess I'll have to test it out first!"**

Before the creature could react, Kurama opened his mouth and a dark ball the size of his head formed rapidly before compacting. Swallowing the ball, Kurama shot the creature one last grin before opening his mouth again and releasing a beam of pure energy that showered the surrounding area in light as bright as the sun. The condensed chakra's heat causing all vegetation nearby to burst into flames as the attack continued forward so quickly the creature didn't even have time to blink.

The massive explosion that followed when the attack struck home was satisfying to say the least. Even more so when Kurama found the splattered remains of whatever the creature was made of hissing and popping in the fires, slowly burning away into nothing.

"**And Kurama knocks it outta the park."** The fox said with a smirk.

"_**More like a swing and a miss." **_The strange voice said causing Kurama to look behind him in bewilderment.

"**The fuck?"** Kurama stated more than asked. Standing behind him was now a massive, shifting ameba the same size as him. "**How are you still alive?!"**

"_**Haven't you noticed yet?"**_ The being asked with a smile in its voice. _**"I'm not alive at all. In fact, you've killed me multiple times now."**_

Kurama stared at the thing in confusion before it suddenly clicked. He thought he had sensed the thing's existence disappear multiple times before when he had landed killing blows, but it had always came back and he assumed that it just hadn't died. The truth was they had died, and more were just coming to fill in the spot.

"**You're some kind of clone aren't you?"** Kurama growled out.

"_**Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!"**_ It said, throwing its amorphous arms in the air.

"**Who and what are you?"** Kurama demanded.

All was quiet for a moment before a dark chuckled started to come from the creature. Soon, the chuckling turned into a full blown maniacal laughter and the creature started to curl into a ball.

"_**My name is Menma."**_ The now identified creature said. _**"As for what I am…well, I guess you could just say we're the same!"**_

Kurama watched as Menma shifted and churned, its body suddenly growing nine protrusions from its back end and taking the form of tails. Four more came down and took the shape of clawed limbs, and finally another came out towards Kurama and took the shape of his head. For a brief moment, the two gigantic foxes stared at each other –the only difference between the two being one was orange and the other black.

"**How did you get here?"** Kurama asked. His mind was going a mile a minute trying to come up with answers. He knew his best bet would be to just keep this Menma thing talking. Something he was starting to realize wasn't that hard. Hopefully Menma would let slip some answers. **"There should be no way you could even get in here with the kind of seal that's on Naruto."**

Menma threw his head back and roared with laughter. _**"Don't you get it? I've been here the whole time! Waiting in the dark, biding my time!"**_ Gazing at Kurama with a menacing grin he finished, _**"I've been waiting in both of you, in the deepest, darkest recesses of your hearts."**_

"**The darkness of our hearts?"** Kurama asked confused.

"_**Yes, the darkness in your hearts. Slowly, ever so slowly, I've been absorbing the negative feelings inside both of you –growing ever stronger each day."**_

"**So you're finally strong enough that you think you can take me on?"** Kurama growled out.

Menma laughed and shook his head. _**"Oh no! I'm not nearly strong enough to take you head on!"**_

"**Then why show yourself?"**

A growl of frustration suddenly reverberated through the forest. _**"The boy has become increasingly difficult to draw negative energy from. Even more so over the last few weeks."**_

"**You mean Naruto's family, Renge and Jihibiki. They've managed to make him happier. Happier than I've ever seen him." **Kurama admitted.

Menma simply scoffed. _**"Please, those two old walking corpses could never be enough for him to completely find happiness. But I will admit they helped."**_

"**Then who—"** Kurama began before it all suddenly clicked. Only one word was needed. **"Hinata."**

"_**That fucking bitch has slowly managed to weasel her way into his heart!"**_ Menma raged. _**"She ruined everything! All my planning! All my patient waiting! All of it! When I finally get control of this blonde headed idiot the first thing I'll do is make her pay!"**_

"**I'd like to see you try."** Kurama growled out dangerously.

"_**Oh, I have no doubt I will eventually."**_ Menma said lightly, his attitude doing an abrupt one-eighty. _**"After all, there's plenty of darkness in you!"**_

"**Plenty of darkness in me?"** The fox echoed before suddenly being overcome with rage. **"I am darkness! I am hatred! I am the very existence you claim to come from! I–"**

"—_**Loved a human."**_ Menma suddenly cut in stopping his counterpart in his tracks.

Kurama stared at Menma in shock before growling. **"You don't know what you're talking about. Don't make things up."**

"_**Is that so?"**_ Menma asked with a glint in his eye.

Suddenly Menma's tails melted off and plopped to the ground. He shrunk down to his original height and then he as well as all nine puddles moved rapidly until they completely surrounded the giant fox. Then, slowly the puddles began to rise from the ground, their forms changing. Red flowing hair came from their heads, violet eyes greeted him warmly, and a cute grin on pale lips smiled up at him.

"Kurama," they all said in unison, "don't you love me?"

"**Stop it."** Kurama snarled.

"You said you loved me."

"**Stop!"**

"Did you…lie to me?...Kurama-kun?"

"**I said stop it!"** Kurama bellowed.

But the damage was done. He could feel it in his chest. It was like a dagger there, slowly sinking in and twisting. The memories came back, and hard as he tried he couldn't repress them. And with it, the black bile began to ooze once again from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

"Kurama promise me…" One of the doppelgangers said with a sad smile.

"Promise me you'll look after my baby if anything happens." Another finished.

"**Shut up!"** Kurama yelled squeezing his eyes shut and covering his ears. The memories were flooding his mind, sweeping him away and pulling him under. And in that despair he felt his chakra being accessed, pulled away from him, but he found that he didn't even have the strength to fight back.

"Please, watch over him. Don't let anything bad happen to my baby."

"Can you promise me that Kurama-kun? Can you promise to watch him?"

"**Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"** Kurama started muttering.

"I know I can trust you." Another clone said as she closed her eyes and smiled. "You've been with me since the beginning.

"I know I can trust you because…well…I love you!"

"**SHUT UP!"**

* * *

><p>Kurama didn't remember running. One minute he was surrounded by those terrible clones of Kushina and the next he was underneath the giant willow tree panting like mad. The fox growled when he thought of what just happened. He wanted to destroy Menma for it. Make it feel the most excruciating pain before killing it slowly for bring back painful memories. But he couldn't, and he had no idea how to. So he ran. He ran as hard as he could to get away and now he was hiding like a small child. He hoped that Menma wouldn't find him here. He just wanted to be left alone.<p>

Glancing up and through the willow branches his raged spiked and his lips curled back. It was back. Menma was standing just outside the branches, this time having taken the form of Naruto. The only difference between the two being Menma looked like a silhouette of the blonde, and his only outstanding features being his red demon eyes and a smirk that showed his white canines just poking out from behind his lips.

"**Get the fuck away from me!" **Kurama nearly roared.

Menma cocked his head to the side and took on a puzzled look. A slight frown appeared on his face for a brief moment. Narrowing his eyes he opened his mouth and said something –only nothing came out. Or at least Kurama thought so.

"**What are you trying to pull?" **

Menma's frown deepened. Taking the last few steps towards the willow tree, he stretched out his hands and tried to push aside some of the branches only for his hand to suddenly halt mere centimeters away for them. A strange rippling appeared in the air, moving away from where his hand was stopped. Tilting his head again, Menma spoke again and still nothing was heard by Kurama.

"**What is this?"** Kurama asked himself as he stared at where Menma was now forcefully trying to push through.

Kurama stood up and approached the dark being cautiously. Stopping on the other side of the branches, the fox slowly inspected Menma and where he tried to force his way through. Not only that, but the strange black bile that was seeping from Kurama had ceased to flow and now lay on the ground in splatters. On the other side though Kurama could see the trail he left was still slowly making its way towards Menma and being absorbed upon contact.

"**This is some kind of barrier separating us."** Kurama spoke to Menma even if he couldn't hear him. **"Your power and influence can't reach me here, but how?"**

The answer came to Kurama when Menma let out a silent shout of frustration and began punching the rippling barrier. A bright glowing red light suddenly emanated from behind Kurama and the fox turned around and opened his mouth in shock.

* * *

><p>The four of them stood there in a circle in the dimly lit room. Three masked faces stared at the fourth, the masks shifting and billowing, never conforming to one shape.<p>

"I don't know about this." Naruto muttered as he stared down at black void that was his mask. Retribution, the mask that could not be stopped. They were asking him to take up the reigns as the most powerful of the four. "What about Vengeance? That seems more suited to me."

"Sorry Naruto-taichou." The commander said shaking his head. "The tradition has always been that the leader would wear Retribution."

Naruto stared at the Anbu commander for a moment before nodding with a sigh. "I never really was one for traditions."

After one last pause of hesitation Naruto raised Retribution to his face. As soon as the cool wood made contact with his skin he felt a surge of power shoot through him, freezing him in place like an electrical shock. Naruto let out a grunt but said nothing else. He knew this was normal since he had watched the other three go through it already. But he was in awe at the power he felt surging through him. It was something that he could only compare to when he was using Kurama's chakra –minus the constant attempt of taking control. It tingled through him, bringing a rush he felt from the top of his head all the way to his feet. It was intoxicating with how good it felt, a rush he never experienced before. It was power. Pure, unadulterated power –and it was all his. However, he was torn from his thoughts when he felt something go wrong.

* * *

><p>Kurama couldn't help but stare slack jawed at the tree. There, on the trunk of the great willow several meters up, was the eight trigram seal. The very one used to seal him inside Naruto.<p>

Kurama stared at it in amazed awe. **"That damn seal…is protecting me now?!"** Turning back to Menma, he saw the creature gritting his teeth and staring hatefully up at the seal. **"The seal is separating the two of us, and as long as I stay inside this seal you won't be able to draw on my chakra anymore."**

Menma seemed to realize this after a moment and took a step back and glared at the fox with crimson eyes. And yet there was nothing the creature could do.

"**I have all the time in the world to think of a way to stop you now."** Kurama said with a feral smirk. **"With no way for you to draw power, you're completely screwed!"**

No sooner had the words left Kurama's lips did the world go straight to hell. One moment everything was still, the next –the earth began to shake and the very air began to vibrate. Looking around in confusion, the pair's attention was suddenly drawn to the north when a massive beam of bright purple light pierced through the clouds and slammed into the ground. Even at that distance, the shear amount and intensity of chakra that washed over Kurama was astounding.

"**What the fuck is that?!"** Kurama asked no one in particular. This was followed by another, more perplexing question. **"And how can I feel it in here?"**

All the questions swimming around in his head were quickly rendered irrelevant though when Menma slowly turned to look at Kurama –a sinister smile growing across his face in the process and a gleam shinning in his blood red eyes. It stayed there for a brief moment before he suddenly turned and bolted towards the light. The confusion that marred Kurama's face melted away as the realization dawned on him, his eyes widening and his stomach dropping like stone.

"**Oh shit,"** was all the fox could say as he suddenly vanished from his spot, sprinting like hell to try and catch up.

**There ya go! Please review and let me know what you think. AND REMEMBER, update in a week!**


	30. A Blessing and a Curse

**A/N:** I'm ba~ack! One week, just as I promised! I know not everyone has had a chance to read last chapter but oh well. For those of you that did read it, I'm glad you all are really looking forward to what happens next. Now for an announcement. There might be a slight lull, two to three weeks, before my next update. It's finals week here at college so sorry but please bear with. Now on to the next installment! So as always, read and review please!

**Chapter 29: A Blessing and a Curse**

Naruto didn't know how, but he suddenly just knew something was off. It started as a strange sensation in his gut, right where his seal was. The next second there was a sharp pain that had him doubling over and grunting.

"Taichou are you okay?" The commander asked. When no response came they all began to worry. "Taichou?"

A scream of pain managed to rip itself free of Naruto's throat as he gripped the table in front of him, his knuckles going white. His other hand gripped his stomach, doing whatever he could to stem the pain.

"M-My seal." He hissed through his teeth. "S-Something is wrong with my seal!"

"**Naruto!" **Kurama's voice suddenly shouted frantically through his mind. **"Naruto can you hear me?!"**

"Kurama?!" Naruto struggled out loud in confusion. "What are you—" Naruto started before he doubled over in intense pain. He stayed like that for a split second before another wave of pain the likes of which he had never experienced before in his life washed over him. Jihibiki was almost to him when suddenly he shot up and went completely rigid –every nerve ending feeling as if it were on fire.

Another scream, this time even more blood curdling than the last, ripped through the cave hideout. The walls began to rumble as the chakra from Naruto suddenly rolled out of him in huge amounts –the air becoming nearly too heavy to breathe in. Potent red chakra began to seep from his skin and swirl around him. The killing intent slammed into everyone in the room, causing them to freeze momentarily from the intensity of it.

"What's happening?!" Shikamaru shouted over Naruto's continuing anguished screams.

"Something is wrong!" Jihibiki shouted back, urging his body to move. "Something is very wrong!"

The elderly Uzumaki pushed forward against the chakra pouring out of Naruto's body, desperate to reach him. It seemed with every step he took the chakra rolling off of Naruto increased more and more. Just when he was within reach, Naruto suddenly tilted his head back a silent scream, blood beginning to trickle down from beneath his mask. Although they couldn't see it, his eyes had constricted to nothing more than pinpricks and his entire body was beginning to vibrate.

Not wasting any more time, Jihibiki lurched forward and managed to press his hand to Naruto's chest before being blown back along with everyone else in the room in a blinding explosion of chakra. The men in the room crashed backwards through furniture, documents, and models before slamming into the cold unforgiving walls of the cave.

When they finally managed to regain their bearings, they found Naruto in a crumpled heap in the center of the room. Mask blown off of his face, eyes focused into the distance, blood seeping from the corners of his of his mouth, and his jaw fixed in a never ending silent scream.

* * *

><p>Things were bad. Really bad. He couldn't touch Menma. He couldn't use any chakra attacks. Hell, Kurama was pretty damn sure even looking at the creature would allow it to take his chakra at this point. And yet here he was, battling nine dark Naruto clones in a vain attempt to keep them from reaching the chakra source. And how was he battling them? He was smacking them away with trees, one in each tail. He swore if anyone saw him doing so he would die of embarrassment. But that sort of reflection could wait.<p>

"**Will! You! Just! Die! Already!"** He shouted in frustration, swinging a tree bearing tail with each word.

The Menma clones' only responses were to laugh maniacally as they jumped, dodged, and were occasionally painted all over the foliage after being struck with a tree. Before Kurama could act, all nine of the clones suddenly blurred in different directions in an attempt to circumvent the fox.

Out of options, Kurama formed another Bijudama and fired the beam of pure energy in an arc. Everything for miles in front of him incinerating, the clones included. But he didn't waste any time, he knew they'd be back so he didn't wait for them to show. Instantly connecting to Naruto, Kurama did his best to work damage control.

"**Naruto! Naruto can you hear me?"**

"Kurama is this you?" Naruto's voice asked, suddenly heard through the air. "Are you doing this?"

"**This isn't me," **Kurama shouted.** "It's—gah!"**

Before the fox could say anything else he was suddenly surrounded by a swarm of Menmas and forced to cut off his explanation; one of them managing to grab his foot, instantly shooting pain through his body while pulling out the negative energies within him.

"**Eat shit you sadistic little fuckers!" **Kurama bellowed as he smashed the clone with his fist, ignoring the pain he felt.

"What's happening?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"**It's this foreign chakra! Whatever you're doing out there stop! If you keep going, you'll only make it stronger!"**

"Make what stronger?"

"**I don't know! I –I've never seen anything like this before! It's—GOD DAMNIT, WHY WON'T YOU FUCKING DIE!" **Bellowing in rage, Kurama quickly ignited the entire area with a raging fire.

"What the hell is happening in there, Kurama?!"

Kurama was about to respond when suddenly twice the number of Menma clones burst through the fire, all converging on the chakra source. Without even thinking Kurama fanned his tails out and spun, pumping as much chakra through his tails as he could. The result was immediate. A massive tornado formed with blade like winds whipping around viciously and cutting down everything in their paths.

"Kurama?"

Kurama stopped his spinning and grinned. Sitting in the center of his devastating vortex, the fox watched as everything around him was sliced away. However, it quickly vanished when he noticed the winds slowing down. Focusing through the dying winds his eyes widened at what he saw.

"**No way! That's…that's impossible!"**

Standing in the vortex was Menma, his grin stretched across his face in a grotesque way. Orange rings surrounded his eyes and instead of a just having vertical slits, his pupils had rectangular bars as well.

"_**Isn't it great?"**_ Menma asked throwing his head back with a laugh. _**"Every skill he possesses, every ability you wield, it's mine! All mine!" **_

"**You bastard!"**

"_**I guess that's one thing you could call me."**_ Menma laughed as he held his arm above his head. Dark energy began to collect and spin around his palm until the all too familiar screech of a Rasen Shuriken filled the air. The action was mirrored by all of his clones. _**"You're outnumbered and outmatched, Kurama. Submit to me! Submit to me and I will grant you all of your inner most desires. I'll purge this village from the maps and do it with your power!"**_

"**Go to hell!" **Kurama spat.

"_**I'm already there."**_ Menma spat back as he and the other clones took aim.

Kurama's eyes darted back and forth searching for some way to rid himself of the clones surrounding him. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't in trouble. But Kurama was drawing a blank on what to do. I one last desperate attempt to stop Menma, he formed another Bijudama and fired it at the one he had been talking to.

Menma didn't even try to dodge. Bringing his jutsu down, he used at as a shield. Slowly sliding backwards from the attack, he lifted the Rasen Shuriken back up and with a loud cry pushed the Bijudama up over him effectively redirecting the attack. Kurama watched in awe and horror as his massive ball of destruction sailed away.

"_**Nice try, fur ball."**_ Menma panted. _**"But it's over."**_

Suddenly Kurama's attack exploded in the distance setting off a chain reaction. The first was the sudden and strangled cries from Naruto that float on the wind. The second was the ground began to tremble causing everyone present to struggle for footing. Next, movement caught Kurama's eye off in the distance and when he did look he couldn't help the grin that began to spread over his face.

"**Minato you magnificent bastard!"**

Menma and his clones followed Kurama's eyes to see the willow tree that held the seal slowly rising into the sky. He snarled as he watched the tree grow rapidly, its' trunk expanding and extending while the branches reached further and further out –the seal on the trunk glowing ominously like a beacon.

"_**What did you do?!"**_Menma demanded, turning back to the fox. His answer came as another blast of wind pounded him and his clones. The vortex once again reaching up into the skies.

"**I've only got one shot at this!" **Kurama shouted.** "Sorry kit but I've got no choice, I'm cutting the connection!" **

Tilting his head back, Kurama began to draw on every bit of chakra he possibly could. The ball of energy above him growing bigger and bigger until he was literally dwarfed in size by what he created, the ground cracking and breaking beneath him from the extreme weight. And still he pushed more into it. Until he lost all feeling in his extremities, and his skin clung to his bones like a living skeleton.

As soon as he felt the winds dying down he acted. Letting out a mighty roar, Kurama fired the biggest Bijudama he'd ever created. The massive moon like creation blew the vortex away, and created a path of destruction. Confused, Menma followed the path of the attack and found the target. Eyes widening in shock, he quickly turned towards Kurama with a glare.

"_**Get to it!"**_ He shouted near hysteria and all eight-teen clones launched themselves at the chakra source at once.

It was a race against time. Kurama lashed out with his tails and claws, trying to fight back the swarm of clones as they relentlessly pushed forward. The Bijudama might as well have crawled to the tree because it was the longest few seconds of Kurama's life. Just as the fox's attack was about to land, Menma managed to slip through Kurama's defenses and reached out for chakra.

It all happened in slow motion. Menma's fingertips managed to brush the edge of the chakra beam just as the Bijudama impacted the tree. Feeling the powerful foreign chakra pulsing through him, Menma was about to laugh when suddenly the earth began to rumble. Out of nowhere four gigantic roots burst from the ground, throwing Menma back and boxing in the purple chakra by forming a massive pillar that reached up into the clouds. Then more roots erupted from the dirt, latching on to anything with a chakra source. Menma was quickly pinned to the ground as was Kurama. The dark entity glared at the fox who smiled back.

"_**You think this is over? You think you've stopped me?"**_ Menma raged. _**"This is only the beginning!"**_

"**Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that."** Kurama answered with a knowing smirk.

Menma was about to demand an answer when something suddenly overshadowed him. Looking up, his eyes widened when he saw that the willow tree was the one doing it. Its' branches reached out covering everything, the seal on the trunk glowing with absolute authority. In the distance, a screeching could be heard as the tree branches and roots found the black cesspool where the original Menma resided and sealed it away. By the time the shrieks faded, the tree was larger than the entirety of Konohagakure.

"_**Don't think I'll be contained by this fox!"**_ Menma shouted before dispelling itself and reverting to a black goo. The liquid made it a couple of inches before the roots suddenly morphed around it into a makeshift bowl and sealed the top with more roots.

"**If I didn't know any better I'd say you were **_**rooted**_** to your spot!"** Kurama said with a grin. Letting his grin faded he did his best to get comfortable in his new bindings before letting out a sigh and closing his eyes.

"**The rest is up to you kit."** He murmured. **"Our connection has reverted back to before we even met for the first time. You'll have to come to me again. But one thing is certain. This isn't over…not by a long shot."**

* * *

><p>It started off as a whisper in the market place. It was in hushed tones and she couldn't really make out what was being said. But as she progressed further into the crowded streets she noticed people glancing at her, covering their mouths, or trying to discreetly point at her. It confused her, why were people acting like this. Like she had done something or something had happened to her. It was making her uneasy and she was so lost in thought that she didn't even realize she had arrived at her destination until she heard the man calling her name.<p>

"Hinata-sama, it's so good to see you again!"

Hinata's head shot up as she jumped from the sudden proximity of the voice. However, she smiled when she saw the baker behind the counter smiling at her warmly.

"Ikinoii-san, it's good to see you as well." She said with a pleasant smile.

The man chuckled. "I'm relieved to see you okay. I haven't seen you in over two weeks; I was starting to worry about my best customer!"

"No, no, I'm fine." Hinata said reassuringly. "I've just been extremely busy."

The Ikinoii nodded in understanding before smiling. "I take it you want the usual?"

Hinata shook her head. "Actually I'd like you to double it."

Ikinoii raised an eyebrow. "Hinata-sama, I know I'm not one to patronize one such as you but don't you think you'd get a stomach ache?"

"Th-They're not all for me!" Hinata said looking away with a blush. "I-I was planning on sh-sharing them w-with someone."

"You mean with Naruto-sama?" He asked surprised.

"Y-Yeah." Hinata stuttered out before noticing the look on his face. "Is s-something wrong?"

"Oh it's nothing." Ikinoii said rubbing the back of his head slightly embarrassed. "It was a bit presumptuous of me, but I assumed because of the rumors going around that something happened between you two."

"R-Rumors?" Hinata asked as her face started to heat up and a sense of dread started to sink in her stomach. She suddenly found herself not very hungry.

"You mean you haven't heard?" Ikinoii asked surprised again. Hinata shook her head and he suddenly began to shift uncomfortably. "I don't know if I should tell then. It's not my place to say and they are rumors after—"

Ikinoii was cut off as Hinata's hand suddenly came across the counter and grabbed his sleeve.

"P-Please t-tell m-m-me." Hinata asked quietly, staring up into the man's eyes.

The baker did his best to avoid the desperation in her eyes; he knew that if he looked at her face he would be done for. However, the pleading in her voice caused him to glance her way and immediately he admitted defeat.

"Okay, okay." Ikinoii sighed, conceding defeat. "How do I say this? Shoot…ah…there are rumors going around that um…Naruto-sama was seen with a red headed woman on his back, smiling and laughing, while walking through the streets…and…um…they were…er…"

"Th-They were w-w-what, Ikinoii?" Hinata whispered, her breath trapped in her throat.

"They were seen heading towards…Naruto-sama's apartments…H-Hinata-sama?"

Hinata's world suddenly came to a screeching halt as the words left Ikinoii's lips. The second the words registered in her mind she was walking, carrying her away on their own free will as her thoughts began to run rampant. On the outside she appeared to be calm, perhaps even a little lost in thought. But on the inside a war was now raging violently. One side defiantly arguing that what she heard was untrue, logically reasoning that Naruto would never do such a thing: the other viciously deprecating herself, telling her she lost her chance for not putting more effort into trying to make the blonde hers. Telling her she deserved what was happening and he was far too good for her.

"_H-He asked me to the f-festival though…"_ She tried to reason, her head down. Although the streets were crowded it felt like everyone's eyes were on her.

Suddenly the whispers became deafening. She felt trapped. Embarrassed. Ashamed. She had to get out of there. Away from everyone. Away from the voices talking about her. She needed to find answers. Her throat was starting to close up, but she couldn't figure out why. Was it because she was scared there was another girl? Was it because she thought she was special to Naruto? Was it because Naruto was with another girl?

A sudden anger gripped her and she clenched her fists. If she were aware of it, she'd also realize she was starting to release a dark aura that was causing many to back away from her. The random and sudden uprising of anger slightly frightened her but at the same time she embraced it.

"I swear," she muttered to herself as her feet carried her away, "if he is leading me and my feelings for him on…the Shinigami himself is going to be too scared to collect his soul when I'm through with him!"

Before she knew it she was already halfway to Naruto's apartment. Realizing she was nearly there, she increased the pace. He wouldn't lie to her. He would tell the truth.

If he knew what was good for him.

* * *

><p>When Karin finally came to the first thing she realized was that she had no clue where she was. She was warm and comfortable, yes, but she was somewhere she was not familiar with which instantly put her on high alert. Her eyes quickly surveyed the room and she realized she wasn't wearing her glasses. Glancing at the nightstand next to her she found them sitting there and quickly snatched them up and put them on. Sliding to the edge of the bed, she then noticed that she wasn't wearing her prison clothes anymore, but a gaudy orange and black track suit. Still, it was comfortable and warm.<p>

Pushing off the bed, Karin wrapped her arms around herself for comfort as she slowly made her way to the bedroom door. Cracking it open she peered into the hallway. No one was home, or so she thought until she heard some clattering of dishes and voices coming from what she expected was the living room. Moving slowly down the hallway, Karin's soft padding of her bare feet was the only noise she made as she silent inspected the house.

"...but don't you think it's about time you looked into a bigger place, Naruto?"

"Baa-chan, I don't have time to be thinking about something as unimportant as that. With everything that is happening, it just isn't important enough to give it any thought right now."

There was a "humph" before, "You're so serious now. What happened to you?"

A chuckle followed. "You two got to me."

Karin came around the corner just in time to see the older red head whirl around at the sink from where she was washing dishes and point accusingly at Naruto, who was sitting on the couch in the living room with his back to her –his legs crossed and arms stretched out on either side of the couch –relaxing.

"Don't go tryin' ta pin this on us!" The red head she remembered as Renge shouted. "You're just like your father! That serious streak comes straight from him!"

"The hell ya talkin' about?!" Naruto shouted incredulously. "You're the one that was all like 'to be an Uzumaki is to be powerful…omniscient…serious.'"

There was a smack and a yelp followed by, "Those words never left my mouth you lyin' lil brat!"

"It was understood!"

There argument came to a halt when a giggle caught their attention. Karin instantly stopped and hid behind the corner of the wall, peeking out just enough for her to see.

"Glad to see you finally woke up Kar-chan." Renge said with a warm smile.

Caught off guard and put on the spot, Karin said the first thing that came to her mind.

"A-Ano, did you change me?" Karin asked. It wasn't what she wanted to ask but it was the first question to pop into her head. It didn't matter but it still brought a slight blush to her face.

"No, that would be Naruto-kun." Renge said with a wink.

Karin froze, mortified, before turning to the blonde to see him smiling and wriggling his eyebrows at her.

"W-Wh-What?!" She shouted as her face burned bright crimson.

Both looked at her before looking at each other and bursting out in laughter.

"Oh man, did you see the look on her face?" Renge gasp out as she wiped a tear away.

"That was just cruel." Naruto managed to get out.

Karin shouted in embarrassment and anger as she jumped out into the room and pointed at the two. "Th-That wasn't funny at all! The hell's wrong with ya?! Is that how ya treat someone ya just met?" Instantly her hands came up to cover her mouth, her face deepening in color. She always had this problem –no filter when her emotions started to run.

Both Naruto and Renge looked at each other in surprise before they smiled again, but this time it was smaller.

"Told ya she was one of us." Renge said with a smirk.

Karin blinked in surprise and in that split second Naruto had vaulted the couch and had wrapped her up in a hug.

"Yep!" He shouted with a laugh as he started to spin her. "She most certainly is!"

Releasing her, Naruto took a step back and blinded her with his face splitting grin. Karin couldn't help but blush a little at the praise and attention she was getting, and she could feel the grin that was starting to make its way across her face as well. What could she say, it was contagious. After a moment though Naruto's grin dropped as if he had just realized something and took a step back. Smiling sheepishly he spoke.

"Ah! Where are my manners?"

"—You don't have any." Renge muttered dryly.

Shooting a small glare her way he then bowed and introduced himself. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto, and this here is my great great grandmother, Uzumaki Renge."

Renge gave a short bow with a smile as well to which Karin returned with a smile. Then something clicked and she took a step back in utter shock. "G-Great _great_ grandmother?! How old _are_ you?"

Naruto threw his head back and laughed while the elder crossed her arms and scowled. "Old enough to know disrespect when I see it!"

Karin was about to apologize when Naruto interrupted her. "Yeah, if ya can still see!"

To make a point he waved a hand in front of her face. However, Renge's hand suddenly came up and gripped his hard earning a couple of audible pops in the process.

"What's that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of your hand breakin'."

Naruto yelped out in pain before suddenly snickering, causing Renge to narrow her eyes. "So not only are you blind, but you're deaf to, eh?"

Karin couldn't help it as the giggles escaped her lips. Renge's eyebrow twitched hard before she suddenly brought her staff down on top of Naruto's head, driving him into the floor.

"Damn disrespectful brats!" She shouted waving her staff around.

Naruto's only response was to pop out of existence in a cloud of smoke.

"W-Wha?!" Karin asked taking a step back in shock.

"…Oops…" Renge muttered rubbing the back of her head.

"That was…a shadow clone?" Karin asked in disbelief.

Renge nodded. "I asked Naruto-kun to leave one in case I had to go take care of some things but I guess that's not happening now." She gave a sheepish smile, at least having the decency to look embarrassed.

Karin gave a small smile and shook her head. These people were so strange and yet so like her at the same time. However, she was suddenly drawn from her thoughts when she felt a small pulse of chakra. Looking at Renge, she saw the small look confusion on her face as well.

"What was that?" Karin asked.

Renge looked at her strangely, as if to say 'you felt that?' However, her own confusion took hold of her as she raised a finger to her necklace and pulsed chakra through it. There was a pause before frantic and sporadic pulses began firing back at her. Renge's eyes widened in surprise, disbelief, and –Karin could have sworn –panic.

Flipping through hands seals at insane speeds, Renge slammed her hand on the floor of the living room. A seal shimmered into existence and stayed there. Without wasting any more time, Renge brought her finger to her necklace again and pulse a few more times.

"R-Renge-san," Karin said meekly. "What's happening? What is that seal?"

"I don't know." Renge scowled as she grabbed Karin's wrist and drug her into the kitchen. "And you're about to find out."

Before Karin could even ask what she was talking about there was a flash by the front door and suddenly the old man from before slid into the center of the living room on his knees with Naruto in his arms. Except Naruto was covered in blood and his clothes were in tatters. His shirt was completely gone and his pants were barely hanging on. His mouth was clenched tightly in pain while staring off at some distant object.

"What happened?!" Renge shouted as she and Karin rushed forward.

"Something happened when he put the mask on!" Jihibiki replied as he laid the blonde down. "He was saying something about his seal before he started screaming. The next thing we knew, chakra was literally exploding from his body!"

"How is the seal?" Renge asked as she peered down at the black ink on his stomach.

"From what I can see its fine." Jihibiki replied.

"And the blood?"

"His. He's been screaming so hard it's destroying his vocal cords."

"I-Is he okay?" Karin asked worriedly.

"For now." Jihbiki said with a nod. "But whatever caused it took a lot out of him. We need to get him patched up before there's any permanent damage."

Renge sighed. "Well I don't know any medical jutsu and neither do you. I guess we better haul this fool to the hospital so he can get patched up."

"I, um…I know medical jutsu." Karin said quietly. It annoyed her how timid she was acting now, but if she was honest, these people _were _intimidating.

"How?" Renge asked amazed. "Uzumaki have never been able to use advanced medical jutsu unless a limiter seal was placed on them. Our level of control has never been high enough due to our large chakra reserves."

Karin shifted uncomfortably under their gaze. "It's not really a jutsu. C-Can I just show you?"

Renge looked at Jihibiki who just shrugged, so she nodded.

"Help him sit up." Karin instructed as she kneeled between Naruto's legs. Each grabbing an arm, the two elders hoisted the blonde up into a sitting position before watching the red head intently. "N-Naruto-san? Can you hear me?"

Naruto made no move to indicate that he had. His eyes still fixed off in the distance.

"Naruto-san," Karin said waving a hand in front of his face, "I need you to listen to me so you can do as I tell you." When she received no response she tried again. "Naru–"

"—Wake up ya idiot!" Renge shouted in his ear while whacking him over the head.

"Gah!" Naruto's raw voice rasped out as his eyes shifted to confusion at first before settling on a glare fixed at his grandmother.

"Listen to Karin-chan." Renge ordered as she nodded to the red head.

Naruto's eyes shifted to the girl in front of him before he suddenly jerked back and shifted uncomfortably, noticing that she was kneeling between his legs. Karin blushed slightly but made no move to acknowledge she understood.

"Naruto-san, I know this is going to sound strange…" She started getting his attention, as she spoke she slipped the jacket off causing his eyes to go wide. Ignoring his look and forcing down her blush, she pulled down on her shirt at the shoulder revealing her left shoulder. "But I need you to bite me."

Everyone was quite for a moment as they stared at the red head in disbelief. Then Jihibiki broke the silence.

"The hell?"

"I know it sounds strange –bizarre –abnormal even, but please trust me!" Karin begged before looking down. "I…I want to help."

Everyone fell silent as they stared at Karin. Naruto could tell she wanted to help, and although he didn't know much about her –she was family and that was more than enough reason to trust her in his opinion. Finally nodding, he carefully leaned forward and opened his mouth wide enough for his canines to grab some flesh between them. Looking up at her, Karin gave him a slight nod and he bit down lightly. It caused Karin to actually give a short laugh.

"Naruto-san, you have to bite hard enough to draw blood."

Naruto's eyes bulged again and he made an incredulous noise in the back of his throat. He started to draw back but Jihibiki finally lost his patience.

"Oh just hurry up already!" The old man shouted grabbing the back of Naruto's head and giving his chin a stiff upper cut with his free hand.

Karin gave a short yelp of pain as her eyes squeezed shut for a moment. The next second Naruto's mouth was full of blood, the metallic life-giving fluid running over his tongue and filling up slowly. And it took everything he had right then and there not to vomit.

Naruto didn't mind blood. He had tasted his fair share of it in the past. But the major difference between then and now was that when he had tasted it before it had been his own. For some reason, the idea of drinking someone else's blood –let alone having it in his mouth –started to make him sick. Luckily, Karin seemed to pick up on this.

"Forgive me Naruto-san," She said as she closed her eyes and concentrated. "I was caught off guard. Give me a moment."

There was a paused and suddenly the iron taste disappeared. He could still feel the small amount of fluid sloshing around in his mouth, but the blood taste had disappeared all together. In fact, there was no taste at all. Only a slight tingly sensation he felt all over the inside of his mouth. Almost like carbonated water without the bitterness.

"Try swallowing now." Karin ordered.

Naruto gave a slight nod and found it incredibly easy to do so. The moment it washed down his throat he felt instant relief and practically moaned into her arm. The raw, pulsing, stinging pain was quickly replaced by a cool soothing sensation that left his throat slightly tingling. Sucking on her arm, he drew more and more of the healing liquid from her shoulder. What he didn't realize was just how much he was drawing out.

Karin let out a soft grunt as sweat began to slide down her face. Her eyes squeezed shut as she concentrated on healing the blonde man's throat. However, her discomfort did not go unnoticed by the other two.

"Are you okay dear?" Renge asked as she placed a hand gingerly on the girl's shoulder. Naruto stopped immediately and looked at her in concern.

"I-It's fine, really." She said. "Please continue Naruto-san, you're voice box was completely destroyed and it will take a little bit longer before it is properly healed." Seeing him continue to hesitate she gave him a small smile. "Really, it's okay. I promise."

Naruto gave a short nod before closing his eyes and continuing. Renge noticed the strain it was putting on the girl and the sweat the girl's body was producing from the effort of keeping up with Naruto's demand.

"Jihibiki, be a dear and go make a pot of tea for Karin-chan." Renge ordered as she stood up. "I'm going to go warm a bath for her."

Jihibiki nodded stood as well to go make tea while his wife made for the bathroom. Room was quiet as Naruto continued to heal and after a few seconds, Karin slumped forward into him. Naruto stopped immediately what he was doing and looked at her, his arms moving to her in support.

"Are you okay?" His voice rasped out, clearly not complete with the healing.

"I-I'm…fine." She assured as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Please continue, your throat isn't completely healed."

Naruto shook his head. "This is fine. It's mostly healed; I can finish it myself with some help from Kurama."

"But…" Karin started but stopped when she caught Naruto's look from the corner of her eye.

"It's fine." He assured with a smile. "I'm an Uzumaki after all. This will be taken care of in a few hours."

Karin gave a slight nod as she closed her eyes exhaustedly with a sigh. "If you say so."

"I do." Naruto said quietly.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door drawing everyone's attention to it.

"Who the heck is that?" Naruto asked. The knock returned only this time much louder, as if the person could hear the voices inside.

"Were you expecting company?" Jihibiki asked. Naruto shook his head and the knocking on the door became booming. Naruto was pretty sure the hinges were about to give.

"_Who the hell is that?"_ Naruto wondered. _"I know it isn't Baa-chan. It's not Sakura. So who—"_

"Don't you think you should answer it?" Karin asked Naruto, glancing up at him from where she was still resting on his shoulders.

There was a sudden pause in the knock as soon as Karin spoke. For the next second everything became deathly quiet and for some unknown reason a chill of terror ran down both Naruto and Jihibiki's spines.

The next second the door was blown off its' hinges and completely disintegrated. Coughing a little, Naruto looked through the dust in confusion before his eyes went wide in fear and he started stammering.

"H-H-Hin-Hinata?!"

Standing in the doorway to his apartment was Hinata, confused, shocked, and shaking with anger. She stared at Naruto with an incredulous gaze before it shifted briefly to betrayal and then to rage. Her mouth moved, but nothing came out. Her breathing became hyperventilated. Her eyebrows knitted together and tears began to slide down her face in torrents. And why not?

There sitting in the living room of his apartment was the man she loved, his shirt off, holding another woman, and practically being straddled by this…this red headed _bitch._ And even though she wanted to run away, far, far away from there, she found that she couldn't. All she could do was stare in horrified shock and anger.

As soon as Naruto saw her face he understood what she thought, and he quickly did his best to set about explaining it. Unfortunately, in his scramble to come up with something to say to placate her, he failed. Epically.

"I can explain!" He rasped out as he raised his hands away from Karin.

Hinata gritted her teeth.

"It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

Her hands clenched into fists.

Realizing nothing was working, Naruto raised his hands slowly and spoke. "Look, Hinata! Just…no."

As soon as the words left his lips he realized it wasn't going to get through to her. He could see it in her eyes, in her body, the way she tensed up. She was getting ready to do something. And what exactly that was terrified Naruto.

"Hinata!" Jihibiki said loudly causing the girl's eyes to cut straight to him and even made him flinch. "I promise it ain't what it looks like sweetie."

Hinata stared at him for several seconds until Renge entered back into the common area and saw her.

"Oh, Hinata-chan! It's so good to see you dear!"She exclaimed before noticing the girl's appearance. "Is…something wrong honey?"

"Jihibiki-san…Renge-sensei…Naruto-kun…" Hinata said in a sickly sweet voice that made the two men want to vomit. "Who is this _hussy_?"

"Well things just got interesting." Jihibiki laughed. He instantly shut up as the dark aura around Hinata increased and she leveled him with a withering glare.

"You. Don't. Speak." She hissed out.

"Yes, Renge!" Jihibiki cried out in fear before babbling. "I-I mean Hime! H-Hinata-sama! S-San! Chan! I-I mean -chan!

The poor man received one more killer glare before she turned to Renge. "Sensei. Explain."

Renge was doing his best to hide her laughter as she looked at her student. "Long story short: Karin is new to the family, Naruto got hurt, she was healing him."

Hinata looked from Jihibiki, to Naruto, and then finally Karin.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" She asked a hollow voice that Naruto found oddly familiar but couldn't quite place it.

"Yeah," he rasped out with a weak smile, "I am now."

"That's good." She said calmly in the same tone as she seemingly stared at nothing.

"_I jumped to conclusions."_ The Hyuuga princess thought. _"I worked myself up over nothing, made a scene, and embarrassed myself by looking like such a mess. I'm a baka…"_

It was like life was suddenly set to fast-forward as everything that had happened caught up to her. It was like an emotional vertigo, and the prevalent emotion being embarrassment. She was embarrassed she literally broke into Naruto's apartment. Embarrassed that she thought he was fooling around with someone else. Embarrassed that she was a speechless crying mess in front of everyone. And most of all embarrassed that she found herself practically drooling over Naruto's hard, muscular, naked torso now that she knew nothing was happening.

"I…I think I'll be going now." Hinata said in an empty, unattached voice.

As soon as he heard it Naruto's memory finally snapped to earlier that day. It was the same tone she had used when he asked her on a date.

"O-Oi, oi, Hime! Are you okay?" He asked as he tried to scramble to his feet.

"I'm fine, Naruto." Hinata replied simply. "I'm going now."

"Wait, take it easy! Remember what happened–"

Hinata spun around on her heels and that was all it took. By the time she made the one-eighty she had already crashed to the ground unconscious.

"—last…time…" Naruto finished with his hand still outstretched towards her. Lowering his hand and shaking his head with an exasperated sigh he then looked at Karin. "Karin, go get cleaned up –you've earned it." Turning his head back to the bluenette on the ground a tired smile made its way onto his lips. "I'll take care of her."

"Thank you, Naruto-san." Karin said with a grateful bow.

"Tch, stop sayin' that!" Naruto said over his shoulder as he picked up Hinata bridal style. "Name's Naruto, that's it. Got it?"

Karin blushed lightly before nodding slightly with a small smile. "Then thank you, Naruto-niisama."

Naruto let out sigh and shook his head before grinning at her. "That's as good as its' gonna get, huh?"

"Pretty much!" Karin said winking and sticking out her tongue.

"Whatever." He said with a smile. "And thank _you _for takin' care of me! Now go get cleaned up!"

"H-Hai!" Karin said excitedly before leaving the room quickly, thrilled with the idea of letting her tired, exhausted, and dirty body soak in the tub for a good long while.

Turning to Jihibiki, Naruto's voice suddenly took on the tone of a commander as his face hardened. Something that didn't fail to impress either of his grandparents. "Go back and let the others know I'm okay."

"Are you going to be alright?" Jihibiki asked.

Naruto nodded. "I'm fine. I'll be back in a little bit after I talk to Hina-hime and Kurama." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I need answers to what happened and I know he'll have them."

Jihibiki nodded and made for the door. "Tea's done by the way. Take a cup to Karin-chan, darling."

Naruto then turned to Renge. "Since I'll be here for a little bit, you can go and take care of whatever business you had planned earlier after you bring Karin her tea."

This caused Renge to stiffen slightly and Naruto noticed Jihibiki had paused at the door as well. The two spouses stared at each other for a moment before both breaking out into reckless grins.

"Okay, Naruto-kun. I shouldn't be away for too long," Renge practically sang as she picked up the tea tray and made her way down the hall towards the bathroom.

Jihibiki seemed to laugh manically as he left the apartment complex leaving Naruto alone with Hinata in his arms. He couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine from the way the two had acted.

"_Why?"_ He asked himself as he made his way to his bedroom. _"Why did I have to get stuck with such a mischievous family?"_


	31. What She Meant to Me

**A/N: Hey~ remember me? Been for ever I know, but to be honest I've worked myself into the ground and had little time for this story, unfortunately. So, I decided to bite the bullet and bust this chapter out. Pretty decent size so I hope it can hold you over until I find more time. It's 2:30 in the morning right now so sorry if some typos manage to slip through. I will admit though, this chapter was a BLAST to write simply because of Kurama. I forgot how much I truly enjoyed writing the banter between him and Naruto. Anyways, enough is enough, time to get on with the story. I'm explaining a little bit more about Menma so hopefully that will clear up any confusions that were left over from the previous chapter. I know I don't really deserve but please let me know what you think!**

**Last Time:** A reaction occurred when Naruto donned Retribution, causing a massive influx of chakra followed by an explosion. At the same time, Kurama battled it out with Menma—who was hell-bent on acquiring the outside chakra source provided by Retribution. Right when Menma was about to obtain the power, Kurama activated the seal on Naruto's stomach effectively resealing everything within Naruto. Afterwards, Jihibiki rushed Naruto home where Karin healed him. Unfortunately, Hinata happened upon some rumors about Naruto and another girl and went to ask him about it. Arriving at his apartment, she found Naruto and Karin in a very provocative position and only assumed the worse. After finally calming her down enough to explain, Hinata promptly passed out. Jihibiki then left to inform the other Night Angels that Naruto was fine and Renge left to speak with Hinata about a hidden agenda.

**Chapter 30: What She Meant to Me**

As Naruto made his way down his short hallway he couldn't stop his eyes from roaming over the midnight haired beauty in his arms. They followed every curve and contour of her body, memorizing the way she seemed to fit perfectly into his arms. He felt his chest tighten, and an aching sensation begin to thrum where his heart was.

When? When did he fall for her? When did he, Uzumaki Naruto, fall for the soft, kind-hearted, loving Hyuuga Hinata?

He had asked himself the question over and over again since his battle with Nagato, but he could never find the answer. But something changed the moment he saw the look on her face when she had barged through the door. As if the answer had always been there, right in front of his face.

Because it had been.

He realized now that she had always been there. Always in the background, supporting and pushing him forward, never allowing herself to take the spotlight away from him. And at some point those feelings had started to develop into something more. He wasn't sure when, but it irritated and saddened him that it took her nearly dying to realize what she truly meant.

Entering the bedroom, Naruto laid Hinata down. After making sure she was in a comfortable position, he knelt beside her and allowed himself a moment to stare. He watched her blush slowly recede from her cheeks while she calmed down in her blissful state of unconsciousness. Her hair fell like silk across the pillow and her pink lips slightly parted in an enticing invite. Reaching out, Naruto brushed a few loose strands behind her ear and allowed a blush to dust his own cheeks at the intimate contact. He had always wanted this kind of thing. He wanted it more than anything in the world, and now that it was right in front of him he was too scared to take it.

"_Oh the irony."_ He thought cynically. Reason told him that it was because he was protecting her. But he found himself caring less and less for reason each day.

Sighing, he looked away from the woman on his bed, refusing to allow his eyes to linger any longer. As much as he wanted to stay like this, he had bigger problems to attend to. Problems that now included whatever was going on inside him. Taking a seat on the floor Naruto settled into the Lotus position, closed his eyes, and slowed his breathing until he felt the eventual tug into his mindscape.

When he finally opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was that everything was green and full of life again. The second thing was that there was a big tree now towering over everything else. A really, really, big tree. And beneath aforementioned tree was Kurama, surprisingly back to his monstrous sized glory, bound to the ground by what looked like roots and even more surprisingly talking and laughing. But what struck Naruto as odd was what the giant fox demon was talking to: a wooden bowl with a lid. Thinking that his companion had finally snapped, Naruto decided to confirm this theory first hand and approached the fox. As he did, Naruto heard the conversation Kurama was having with what Naruto originally thought was himself.

"**If you're so irritated, then why don't you make like a tree and **_**leave.**_**"**

"_**Shut up…"**_

"**Seriously, just act like a log and **_**split.**_**"**

"_**Please stop."**_

"**It's not your fault really."** Kurama said sympathetically. **"You didn't realize you were **_**barking**_** up the wrong tree."**

"_**Oh for the love of Kami! Please will you just shut up you oversized, furry, simpleton!"**_The voice shouted crazily.

"**Uh oh, someone sounds upset. Maybe you should just put a lid on it and stew on your recent actions."**

"…"

"**Do you get it?"** Kurama asked suppressing a snicker. **"Because you're in a bowl-ish looking container!"**

"_**I'm going to drown you…"**_ The voice said in what sounded like utter conviction. _**"I'm going to drown you like a sack of dumb puppies. And if I wasn't stuck in this god damned seal I'd do just that!"**_

"**Hah! Jokes on you, I hate dogs."** Kurama laughed.** "But you are sealed so there's no use in crying over spilt…"** Kurama seemed to be at a loss for words, **"…goo?"**

"…"

"…"

"I think you were trying too hard with that last one, Kurama." Naruto said as he walked around the side of the fox and into his view.

"Eh? Oh Naruto, it's good to see you finally decided to show up."

"_**Thank god! **_

Naruto seemed to pause in confusion and look around him for the phantom voice before returning his attention back to his furry companion. "I don't suppose you know what's going on here?"

"**Nope!"** Kurama chirped without missing a beat.

"_**Liar!"**_ The phantom voice echoed back causing Naruto's eyebrow to twitch as he leveled Kurama with an expecting gaze.

"Now Kurama, you know keeping vital information from me could be very…detrimental to our fragile relationship." As the blonde spoke he tried to ignore the snort the giant fox gave him at his word choice.

"**Would you believe me if I told you I was just playing around with the seal and it attacked me?"**

"**No."** Both Naruto and the voice countered at the same time.

"Okay, seriously! What is that?" Naruto snapped as he searched for the voice that continued to input its opinion.

"**Yeah…about that…"** Kurama drawled as he looked at the wooden bowl on the ground.

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and looked at Kurama while loosely pointing at the bowl. Kurama simply nodded, answering his unasked question. Naruto then looked at the bowl before looking back at the fox and asking his next question.

"The fuck?"

"**It's a long story."**

"I've got time."

"_**But do you have popcorn?"**_

Naruto opened his mouth to respond before catching himself and shook his head.

"Did you have a child or something?" He asked, looking at Kurama.

"**No, why?"**

"Because the sarcasm in this mindscape is too damn high!"

"**Oh, I'm sorry Pot have we met? My name is Kettle."**

"_**I think we're getting off topic here."**_

"Yeah? Well I think that you're…" Naruto paused for a moment as he realized the voice was right. Wheeling around to Kurama he pointed at the bowl. "Explain."

Taking a deep breath, Kurama began in a dramatic voice, **"Long, long ago. In a mindscape far, far away—"**

"—Nope!" Naruto cut in as he turned and closed his eyes.

"**What are you doing?"** Kurama asked a moment later.

"You'll see, so shut up and let me concentrate."

Five minutes later, Naruto sat next to Kurama in a recliner in front of a massive TV with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. Attached to Kurama's head was a crazy looking metal contraption with multiple wires sticking out of it and running to the TV. Naruto had somehow come up with the ingenious idea of watching Kurama's memories. Something the fox was not pleased about in the least bit if the glower on his face was any indication.

"**Can we at least fast-forward through the talking part?"**

"No. I want to know everything that happened." Naruto stated.

"**This is an invasion of personal privacy. I'll never forgive you."** Kurama growled out in warning.

"You're inside of me." Naruto said, glaring at the fox. "And whatever happened to me just now was because of _you._ I don't give a damn about your privacy when my well being is on the line."

"**Arrogant little prick." **

"Asshole fox."

"_**Shh! This is my favorite part!"**_

Naruto ignored the voice and turned his attention to the screen. When he did, he froze at what he saw.

"…Is that…" He whispered.

"**Kushina…"** The Kurama on screen whispered.

Naruto gripped his bowl so hard it shattered causing popcorn to fly everywhere. "Ka…Kaa-san…"

For the next few minutes Naruto sat in a surreal trance as the interaction between Kurama and his mother played out before him. He couldn't believe it. He never thought in a million years that Kurama, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, maker of tsunamis and crusher of mountains, would ever be so emotionally attached to a human. Yet right before his eyes, he watched as Kurama struggled to maintain his composure in front of the red headed woman. A woman that Naruto had to admit was incredibly beautiful. But if the emotional attachment Naruto saw on the screen wasn't proof enough, when he glanced sidelong at the very demon next to him he saw Kurama fighting to hold back tears. Finally after a few more moments Naruto picked up the remote and hit pause, just as his mother started to turn into the black viscous being. They were both quiet for a full minute before Naruto finally broke the silence.

"Did you really love her?"

Kurama narrowed his eye at the blonde before looking away. **"It's none of your god damned business!"**

"It is every _bit_ of my fucking business!" Naruto shouted in a mixture of anger and sorrow. "Kurama, please, I'm begging you! You never have to do anything for me ever again if you just tell me about my mother!"

Kurama was silent for a moment and his eyes grew distant, but just as he was about to speak he was cut off.

"_**Are you two drama queens about done yet? We're getting to the best part!"**_

"**I will eat you!"** Kurama snarled as his lips curled back around his fangs.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as well as he glared at the small wooden bowl. "Let's go somewhere else."

With a snap of his fingers, Naruto and Kurama found themselves in a completely different area of the woods. Well, technically he had transported them to the base of the monstrous willow tree, but it was still a change in scenery. Although he was still bound tightly by the roots, Kurama found himself temporarily at peace as he gazed out at the Koi fish pond which glittered in the sun. After a few moments of comfortable silence he noticed that Naruto was patiently looking at him—waiting for a response.

Taking a breath and closing his eyes, the fox asked, **"What do you want to know?"**

"Everything." Naruto said seriously. "What my mom was like. Who she was as a person, as a ninja, as a wife. Who she was to _you._ Who or what that thing was back there. Why it's even here and why is it affecting me now of all times.

"**Okay, let's start off easy then."** Kurama said with a sigh**. "What's causing all of these problems for us internally would be a being that goes by the name of Menma. He lives inside of you and has been with you for as long as I have."**

"Menma." Naruto said slowly, trying the name on his tongue. "How did he get inside of me? Did something happen when my dad sealed you inside of me?"

"**No, it's much simpler than that."** Kurama said shaking his head. **"Menma is part of you. Naruto, he's a manifestation of your dark side."**

Naruto found himself frozen to his spot.

"Dark side," he questioned. "How can that even be possible?"

"**Oh don't play the saint, Naruto."** Kurama said seriously. **"Admit that there were times where you thought about retaliating. About killing all of those fools who cursed you and ostracized you. That's where Menma comes from. He's been with you since the beginning—locked away in your subconscious. But now he's finally gained enough power to separate himself from you and manifest in his own form."**

"How?"

"**By feeding off your chakra of course. But after fighting him it's become apparent that a large portion of my own chakra is what fuels him as well. It's why he's managed to powerful so quickly. And it's likely most of the chakra that came from me was stolen during our battle with Pain."**

"Was he the cause of the reaction I had when I put Retribution on?" Naruto asked. He needed to know if it would happen again.

"**Yes and no."** Kurama said. Upon receiving an irritated look he explained further. **"Yes he was the reason for the reaction but no he did not cause it. I did. I forced my own chakra against the masks own sentient chakra. The battle that ensued was basically a force of wills, with your own body being the battlefield."**

"Kami, Kurama." Naruto said with a sigh. "Couldn't you have done something else? That seriously hurt like a bitch!"

"**I really didn't have a choice. It was either force the mask back, or allow Menma to take control of it. And Kami only knows what would happen if he was allowed to get his hands on such a powerful foreign chakra." **

"God damnit!" Naruto said with an irritated sigh. "Why does this shit have to be happening now? I've got my hands completely full! I don't need any more shit on my plate! Why is he even trying to get his hands on chakra?"

"**Isn't it obvious?"** Kurama question as if it were just that. **"He's trying to build up his strength so he can take over your body."**

"What?!" Naruto shouted. "Oh _hell_ no!"

"**Relax, he's sealed away for the time being so you should be able to use the mask and deal with the upcoming situation. We can deal with him later."**

"Speaking of which, what's up with the shackles?" Naruto asked.

"**A small price to pay to keep that puddle of oil locked away."**

"Any way I can make that more comfortable without releasing the bastard again?"

"**It's your mindscape and these bindings are simply a representation of the seal, so I don't see why you couldn't."**

"Gimme a sec." Naruto said while closing his eyes. A moment later the roots disappeared and then reformed around his neck in the form of a loose, ornate looking, wooden collar. "There, all done."

"**Not bad."** Kurama said stretching out his stiff limbs as he inspected his reflection in the pond. **"And you say I have a gaudy taste."**

"I thought it looked rather dashing on you." The blonde defended. He received a snort to which he huffed, "Whatever, but about what you said earlier. _W_e are going to deal with Menma?"

"**What he did to Kushina's image was unforgivable."** Kurama muttered dangerously.

"Which brings us to our next topic." Naruto said folding his arms. "My mother."

Kurama was silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts before finally sighing.

"**The first thing you need to understand, Naruto, is the kind of relationship your mother and I had. While I loved Kushina, it was purely on a personal level, nothing intimate."**

"No shit." Naruto replied dryly causing Kurama to do a double take. Seeing the look he rolled his eyes. "What? You expect me to assume you were somehow having an affair with my mother inside her own mind?"

"**You'd be surprised at the conclusions people will jump to."** Kurama deadpanned.

"You're a giant fucking fox! Of course the only kind of relationship you two could have is on a personal level!"

"**Once again, you'd be surprised—but I'm getting off topic. What you need to understand is that your mother was only the second person to ever treat me like something other than a monster."**

"And the first?" Naruto asked.

"**Another time, kit, stay focused."** Kurama said, dodging the conversation. **"It's because of that reason your mother and I developed such a strong friendship. In fact, she's the only person I've ever considered a friend…" **

"And how _did_ your friendship start?" Naruto asked, suddenly excited to hear a story about his mother.

"**The same way your entire clan makes new friends."** Kurama muttered with a weary sigh. **"She just showed up one day and started talking."**

"That's how everyone makes friends." Naruto pointed out with a sweat drop. "And besides, I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"**She spent five hours talking about her day at school!"** Kurama shouted incredulously. **"Seriously, practically talked me through her entire day!"**

"Hmm, I can see how that would be slightly annoying." Naruto said with a sagely nod.

"**Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Anyways, because of your mother's…**_**unique**_**…way of growing on me, our relationship soon turned into something stronger until we reached a point where I allowed and willingly gave her my chakra."**

Kurama received an "hmph" at his last statement and found Naruto looking away with his arms crossed. **"Is something wrong princess?"** He asked with a grin. **"There's no reason to be jealous, I share my chakra with you too."**

"Yeah, but something tells me when you shared with my mom you weren't trying to take her over and consume her soul." Naruto shot back with a glare.

"**Name one time!"** Kurama shouted indignantly.

Naruto stared incredulously at Kurama with his mouth agape. "Surely you're joking."

"**I never joke."** Kurama shot back haughtily. **"And don't call me Shirley."**

Naruto blinked as what Kurama said registered. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"**One of my prouder achievements if I do say so myself. But as you can see you can't name a single time where I've attempted to take you over."**

"How about the last time you gave me power!" Naruto snapped. "Remember? I blew a fucking crater into the earth half the size of the village, destroyed a small planet, and drew out all nine tails of your power! If not for my dad I WOULDN'T BE HERE!" Naruto finished in an explosive fury.

All was silent for a few seconds before Kurama closed his eyes and sighed.

"**Do you know what happens when you assume, Naruto?"** Kurama didn't even give the blonde a chance to respond as he continued. **"You make an Ass out of U and Me. I never tried to take your body over that day, or any other day for that matter." **

"Oh and I suppose next you'll say that you were trying to protect me." Naruto said sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.

"**Yes."**

"Exactly! Because you're a self—whaaa?" Naruto drawled out intelligently as his head cocked to the side.

Kurama sighed at his host's antics. **"You forget that your mind was in an **_**extremely**_** fragile state when I took over. I didn't force my way out Naruto, you let me out. After you saw what happened to Hinata…"** Trailing off he shook his head. **"That man would have taken us if I hadn't pushed so much chakra into your system and fought back. You were completely unresponsive. Besides, pushing that much chakra through your system was a two part plan."**

"But why did you push so much chakra through me?" Naruto demanded. "All I need was a little bit to escape!"

"**Are you so sure about that?"** Kurama snorted. **"The moment that blade pierced Hinata's chest, was the moment you realized you loved her."**

A deafening, suffocating silence fell over both of them the second the words left Kurama's lips. After a long pause Naruto finally spoke.

"Was nine tails really necessary?" It was quiet the way he asked. His arguments had all but died away and he was tired of the bickering. He just wanted answers.

"**That was the second part of my plan."** Kurama said before lowering his voice. **"Albeit, it was a slightly more personal goal." **

Naruto perked up at hearing this and gave him a questioning look. "What do you mean?"

"**I was trying to draw someone out."** Kurama admitted reluctantly. **"I knew there were other chakra signatures sealed within you; I was just trying to get them to come out. I'll admit though, seeing that blonde haired bastard was not on my agenda."**

"You intentionally tried to get someone to show themselves and ended up accidentally revealing my dad?" Naruto asked in surprise to which the fox nodded. "Then who were you trying to draw out?"

"…**Your mother…"**

Naruto sat on the ground in front of the giant fox, stunned for the god-only-knew-what-number that day.

"**M-Mom is sealed in me too?"**

"**Yeah…"** Kurama muttered, lowering his eyes. **"She is…"**

"…So…how do we get her to come out?" Naruto asked genuinely curious.

"**You're willing to try?"** Kurama asked in surprise. **"You're willing to work with me to accomplish that?"**

"Well yeah." Naruto said with a shrug as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You obviously really care for her and I want to meet my mom. I have things I'd like to ask her."

Kurama sat there processing what his container had just told him and slowly began to re-evaluate him. After some time though he then scowled. **"Knowing that godforsaken father of yours, her presence is probably inside the seal itself."**

"Meaning?"

Kurama growled in frustration. **"Your mom will only show herself when you release the seal and try to take control of me."**

"I see." Naruto said with closed eyes and an understanding nod. Then realization dawned on him and his eyes shot open. "Wait! _I_ can take control of _you_?!"

Naruto suddenly found himself imagining Kurama eating all of the ramen from Ichiraku before frolicking through a meadow of wild flowers. Unfortunately for Kurama, he was privy to his container's thoughts and watched in horror as his imaginary self did just that on a floating big screen right in front of him. Thankfully, the situation was remedied when Kurama smacked the blonde across the head with one of his tails.

"**Stop doing that! I have just witnessed something so terrible it can never be unseen!"** Kurama shouted in irritation. **"And that isn't how it works you dumbass!"**

Naruto scowled at the insult but his interest trumped his tongue. "Then how does it work?"

"**You take control of my chakra and separate it from my body."** Kurama said exasperatedly before his mouth shut quickly and his eyes bulged at the revelation he just gave the blonde in front of him.

"Oh." Was all Naruto said as silence fell between the two again as they stared at each other.

"…"

"…"

"**You have no idea how that's even possible, do you?"**

"Not in the slightest!" Naruto said with a cheesy grin while rubbing the back of his head. Silence fell again. "But why would I try to take your chakra? I don't want to control you. I'd rather do things with my own strength."

Kurama snorted at that. **"I see you've forgotten what your father has told you. That masked man that calls himself Madara…he is no ordinary man. Your strength alone will not be enough to defeat him."**

"But I've become a lot stronger!"

"**It won't be enough."**

"How do you know? I could be and will be strong enough to defeat that masked asshole on my own!"

"**You stubborn, idiotic, Uzumaki!" **Kurama roared in frustration. **"I have seen Madara in battle many times! That man is a god amongst humans! You alone will not be enough to defeat him! You're father, the **_**Yondaime**_**, couldn't even defeat him!"**

"So what are you suggesting then, huh?" Naruto shouted irritably. "Are you saying you're just going to roll over and give me your chakra? That you're willing to work with me?"

"**Hell no!"**

"That's what I thought." Naruto muttered rolling his eyes. "Wouldn't trust you anyways."

"**Even after I saved you from being captured and saved Hinata?"** Kurama said challengingly. **"Yeah, your argument is looking **_**real**_** strong."**

"Don't forget that you're the reason both my parents are dead!" Naruto shouted as he stood up.

Kurama narrowed his eyes as he chest rumbled with pure rage. "**Both of your parents are dead,"** he ground out, **"because your father is a worthless idiot."**

"How is this dad's fault?!" Naruto asked incredulously. Which he then followed up with, "And how is he an idiot?!"

"**Don't get me wrong, your father was a genius even by my standards. But dear god did he have bouts of stupidity that were ones for the record book! There were times where even **_**Kushina**_** was face-palming because of the mental lapses he had!"**

"Your point?"

"**For as brilliant as Minato could be sometimes, he sure did over look one massive detail on the night of the attack."**

"And that would be?"

Leaning in, Kurama came face to face with Naruto before growling out, **"I was under Madara's control when I killed your parents."**

Naruto's eyes shot open in surprise at the new piece of information and he actually took a step back in shock. He wanted to argue that Kurama had done it because he could, but the pain present in his eyes told him otherwise.

"**Do you honestly think I would kill Kushina?"** Kurama whispered. **"She was the only one to understand me. She was my friend and I loved her."** Turning away he stared off into the distance. **"You're father had it wrong, the night they died it wasn't because of my intentions but because of that masked man's. I would have never hurt your mother…Your father on the other hand I would have gladly impaled again."**

Naruto ignored the sarcastic comment and was he realized how off topic they were. "So, how are we supposed to get my mom to show herself?"

Kurama opened his mouth but paused. **"Honestly I don't know. Since she's locked inside that seal you'll most likely need the key to it."**

"Key?! The hell am I supposed to find the key?"

"**I don't know brat! Try asking around! I vaguely remember Minato talking about giving it to Jiraiya for safe keeping, so maybe the toads have it?"**

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask them." Naruto said rubbing his chin. "If not I guess I could get baa-chan or jiji to crack the seal."

"**Considering they're the only ones left that could possibly do it."** Kurama mused. **"I suppose it does pay to have a backup plan."** Naruto suddenly fell silent which didn't go unnoticed by the fox. **"What's wrong?"**

The blonde seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying, "Well, it's just something I don't understand. Why _are_ we the only ones left? If we're so good with seals, and seals are only limited to the imagination, then Uzushio should have never fallen, right?"

Kurama fell silent for a time as the memories began to resurface. Finally, just when Naruto thought he wouldn't answer he spoke. **"It doesn't matter what you're seals can do, kit. When you're facing three major villages and a dozen smaller ones, they eventually fail."**

"What do you mean?"

"**Uzushiogakure fell through the combined efforts of Kumo, Suna, and Iwa, as well as over ten different lesser villages. Uzushio was by itself."** The air became thick with silence for a moment. **"As mighty as Uzushio and the Uzumaki clan were, they were not capable of fending off the sheer size of their enemies. That is why there are no Uzumaki left, Naruto."** Looking the blonde in the eye Kurama said, **"But they didn't go down without a fight. They halved the power of all the major villages and completely wiped out some of the lesser ones."**

Naruto couldn't deny the feeling of pride that welled up in his chest at hearing how ferocious his clan was in battle. But something was nagging him in the back of his mind that he just couldn't accept.

"But the Senju and Uchiha were allies. Even more than that—family! Why didn't they come to Uzushio's aid?"

"**You can thank Tobirama for that."** Kurama growled.

"Tobirama?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "As in the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama?"

"**The very one."** Kurama answered with a nod. **"You see, when Uzushio was attacked they knew they would only be able to fend off the invasion for only so long.** **So they called for Konoha to aide them. Hashirama was in the process of gathering his armies when Tobirama stopped him."**

"How?"

"**The white haired prick started babbling on about how Uzushio's problems didn't concern them and that as Hokage, Hashirama should be thinking about what was best for his people and the village's well being. Tobirama said his brother was acting too rash and was jeopardizing everything for an alliance that wasn't even very beneficial to the village."**

"And Hashirama listened to him?!" Naruto asked incredulously. "Hashirama, the man that envisioned peace, loyalty, and unity, the very embodiment of justice, abandoned Uzushio?!"

"**Tobirama had a way with words." **Kurama said with disgust. **"That silver tongued bastard knew how to weave them in such a way that swayed people to his point of view. That and he knew how to guilt trip. And if there was one person he could do it to better than anyone else it was to his older brother."**

"So…what happened?"

"**Hashirama's wife, Uzumaki Mito, was furious when she found out he had called off the reinforcements. There was no finer woman in the world of shinobi at the time than Mito. She was a woman of grace, class, and dignity. But in the end, she was an Uzumaki."**

"Meaning?" Naruto asked on the edge of his proverbial seat.

"**She kicked the shit outta Hashirama when he told her. Then she went out, found Tobirama, and kicked the shit outta him."** Kurama said with a laugh while Naruto face planted. Not giving him time for a responsed he continued, **"Afterwards she disowned the Senju clan and refused to even be in the same room as Hashirama, let alone speak to him."**

"That sounds…terrible." Naruto said after a moment. "The person you love betraying you like that. Disowning you and refusing to even be around you, like you were some kind of plague."

"**But you must understand Naruto,"** Kurama said solemnly, **"that Hashirama betrayed her first."**

"So what happened?" Naruto asked after a moment of silence.

"**Multiple things."** Kurama said with a sigh as he shifted into a comfortable position. **"The rift between the Uchiha and the rest of the village began. Unlike the Senju, the Uchiha were more than willing to go to the aide of their family and were utterly disgusted with the Senju's cowardice. Hashirama, overcome with guilt, abandoned the village in the middle of the night and left to go aide Uzushio alone. The next day after finding a not left to her, both Mito and Tobirama left to try and find him."**

"Did they make it in time?"

Kurama grew somber. "**You already know the answer to that question, kit."** Naruto said nothing and looked at the ground quietly. **"When Hashirama arrived,"** Kurama continued, **"Uzushiogakure was in ruins. Bodies of ninja and civilian alike littered the streets, and the shores of the river running through Uzushio were stained in blood…None survived…"**

Naruto clenched his fists together in anger but a realization hit him that poked a hole in the fox's story. **"What about Renge and Jihibiki? Or even Karin? They're still alive! That means some must have survived right?"**

Kurama gave a shrug. **"Beats the hell out of me. From what I saw when I was there nobody was left alive on the entire island."**

"You were there?" Naruto asked, perking up.

"**Baka! I was sealed inside Mito remember? When she arrived she used my ability to sense others and found that no one was left alive on the island. I may have hated the woman but I grudgingly respected her after watching her opening up a can of whoop-ass on the Senju brothers."**

Finding it suddenly quiet, Kurama shifted his gaze and saw Naruto a little ways off crouched down with a rain cloud hanging over his head.

"How come all the other jinchuriki had your respect and got to use your powers except for me?" Naruto pouted as he slowly drew a circle on the ground with his finger.

"**Because of the pathetic image you're creating right now." **Kurama said dryly with a sweat drop. Naruto blew him a raspberry causing the fox to roll his eyes. **"Yeah, that helps."**

Walking back over, the blonde plopped back down in front of his prisoner. "You said you sensed everyone on the island was dead. Even Hashirama?" Kurama nodded. "That's weird. In class we were told that the First died in the war."

Kurama snorted at that. "**The First is what caused the war."** Seeing Naruto's wide-eyed look he elaborated. **"While the razing of Uzushiogakure could be seen as an act of aggression, no one was about to make a move against three major villages and an assortment of minor ones. However, Hashirama changed all that when he arrived to find Uzushio in ruins and so many innocent people slaughtered."**

"What happened?" Naruto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"**From what Mito and I could assess after arriving, Hashirama went completely off the reservation. The main army had already moved on, but they had left a small contingent of roughly 500 behind to loot the village for jutsus, scrolls, and seals.**" Kurama paused for a moment as he relived what he'd seen before continuing. **"The sight burned into his mind and caused his blood to boil; his mind was consumed with rage and a need for vengeance. They didn't stand a chance. He came upon them like when a hurricane strikes the coast, showing them the same mercy they'd shown. He left none alive…It was a massacre…"**

"So…he fell in battle?" Naruto asked, but to his shock Kurama shook his head.

"**No, after coming too Hashirama realized what he'd done and was overcome with grief and guilt. When we arrived we found him kneeling on a small hill overlooking the carnage, his tant****ō**** buried in his gut, and tears staining his cheeks."**

"Seppuku…" Naruto whispered to himself.

"**Mito was a wreck."** Kurama said. **"He had enough time to whisper 'Please forgive me' to her before he died."**

"So what happened then?"

"**You're not gonna like what you hear so I won't tell you."** Kurama said with a smirk. Just as Naruto opened his mouth to protest he continued, **"Ask the old timers, more specifically Renge."**

"I've tried asking them about Uzushio before but they always clam up about it." Naruto huffed.

"**Then get her drunk and then ask. It works every time."** Kurama said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto froze. "Ya know, I never really thought of that."

"**I'm not surprised."**

"Tch, whatever. Any ideas as to how I should bring it up to her?"

"**Yeah."** Kurama said with a nod. **"Ask her why the bridge burned."**

Naruto was silent for moment before he nodded finally. "Okay, I will." Then after a pause he added, "And thanks Kurama. You didn't have to tell me all that extra stuff but you did. It means a lot."

Kurama huffed and looked away. **"Whatever kit. I did because I felt like it."** However, the twitches at the corner of his mouth threatened to turn into a smile.

Naruto just grinned at the giant fox that he had the most unusual relationship with. Then it slowly faded as one last thought emerged.

"Kurama…" He started, catching the fox's attention with his serious tone. "About Hinata. I know you're against us being together, and from what you told me about my mom I can only believe that it's because you don't want the same thing to happen again. But I do want to be with her, I want it more than anything. She precious to me on a completely different level and I'm going to protect her with my own two arms."

Moving forward, Naruto came to stand directly in front of Kurama. He gazed up and met the fox's fierce glare. "I know you care for her because she's different from the rest of the world. She's a pure soul. Something that never graced our presence growing up. A rarity in today's society and you want to protect her. But she isn't my mom and history isn't going to repeat itself, I won't let it. I'm being given the chance of a lifetime and you—a second chance." Turning away he finished, saying, "So you can either help me protect this precious person, or you can sit by and cry about what will never happen…because I won't let it!"

Kurama caught the glint in his keeper's eyes as he finished speech. It was a look of pure determination, a level of conviction that few carried nowadays. And as much as he hated to admit it, somewhere deep in his chest, beyond the darkness, guilt, and sorrow, an ember glowed that he had long since thought to be extinguished. Hope.

"**You've got a long ways to go before I believe any of the crap that spews from your mouth brat!"** Kurama rumbled with a smirk**. "Prove it with your actions."**

The two stared at each other for a moment longer before Naruto saw it. The slightest look before it disappeared in a flash. It was a mixture of acceptance and acknowledge meant—it was something he had been working for all his life. It was an understanding of one another.

Allowing a smirk to grace his face as well Naruto shook his head. "Yeah, well try not to fall asleep then. I know that's about all you're good for." He then glanced over his shoulder to the north. "I think I better get going—lot's to do and all." He paused for a moment before adding with a smile, "Between you and me—you've changed, Kurama. And it's not a bad change either. Just thought you should know."

With a snap of his fingers, Naruto disappeared from his mindscape leaving Kurama alone.

"**Maybe…but the same goes for you kit." **

* * *

><p>Sakura's heart was pounding in her chest as she walked down the hallway. She had been summoned a few minutes ago to attend the briefing for the strike on Konoha and she knew it was do or die now. The information she gathered from this meeting would save thousands of lives and possibly end the war before it even began. The mission now hinged on her remaining calm, cool, and careless of her village's well-being during the briefing. So, naturally, her nerves were shot. Yet on the surface she kept her mask in check—stony and stoic. It would make a Hyuuga proud.<p>

"Ahhh, Pinky! You made it! I didn't think you'd come!" White Zetsu's voice rang out as she entered the briefing room, and Sakura looked over at the man after hearing her nickname he'd dubbed her.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world, pale boy." Sakura replied coolly. "You on the other hand might want to reconsider and catch some sun instead."

"Oh?" Zetsu replied with a grin. "Tough talk coming from a girl that looks like she has bubble gum for hair."

"Tough talk for someone that can't go poop." Sakura countered. It was the first thing she learned about him after he'd introduced himself. For some reason he saw it as his pride and shame, but the effects were almost instantaneous."

"You're so cruel Sakura…" Zetsu pouted as he turned away with tears in his eyes and a cloud overhead.

"Well it is your fault that you told her your condition the moment you met her." Sasuke's annoyed voice replied as he walked into the room.

"Oh look Zetsu, your brother is here." Sakura replied with sly smirk.

"Brother!" Zetsu cried for joy as he jumped at Sasuke and wrapped him up in a hug. "It's so good to see you, pale boy #2!"

"Get off of me before I kill you." Sasuke replied icily.

"If you did that then who would gather all of our intel?" Madara's voice asked as he entered the room. "Besides, Zetsu has always wanted a brother. He gets so bored with his clones."

"It's true! Sasuke-nii is Zetsu's favorite brother!"

"Aren't you older than me?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"Don't sweat the details, otouto." Zetsu waved dismissively.

"Just get off of me already!"

"Zetsu, if you'd please. We have a briefing to do." Madara commanded as they took their seats at a table.

"Right!" Zetsu sang as he jumped on top of the table and stood before a map of the elemental nations. "The pieces are set and everything is in place. We have full control of the elders on the Hyuuga council so Hiashi can't even take a poop without us knowing." Sasuke sighed and Sakura face-palmed but he ignored them and continued. "While the Shinobi Alliance's plans for where they will be amassing their troops for the war are unclear, I've come across a rather interesting tidbit I think you'll find rather interesting."

"And that would be?" Madara asked.

"Konoha has requested a platoon of shinobi from each nation as well as a platoon of samurai to reinforce the village for the upcoming festival. They will be arriving the day of the festival."

"Why would they request something like that?" Sasuke asked. "It's like they're expecting something to happen or trying to prepare for it at least."

"Is it possible they suspect we'll try something during the festival?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"It's possible they've seen their potential weakness with this festival." Madara replied. "Konoha continues to throw variables into the plans I have. Nevertheless, it will not stop us—even with Naruto working behind the scenes." Both Sasuke and Sakura looked at him when the blonde's name left his lips.

"Naruto is up to something?" Sasuke asked. "What are his plans?"

"I don't know." Madara replied coolly, surprising the two. "The boy can be a surprisingly good ninja when he wants to be."

"So should we go in under the assumption that they'll be expecting us?" Sakura asked.

Madara stared at her a moment, his single crimson eye reflecting behind his mask and making her want to do nothing more than squirm under his gaze. But she remained calm, and after the moment passed he nodded.

"It would be wise." He said as he pulled a different map out, a map of Konoha. "The other villages sending platoons as reinforcements could be considered a blessing."

"How so?" Sasuke asked.

Madara pointed to a walled off section inside the village. "Our little surprise party has a history with one of the platoons arriving for the festival. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to achieve some kind of conflict between the two."

"Of course, Kumo and the Hyuuga have a history of bad blood." Sakura said understanding where he was going. "It probably wouldn't take much to set something off between them. You'd be picking the Shinobi Alliance apart before they've even managed to come together."

"That's the idea." Madara said with a gleam in his eye. "We'll strike during the festival, regardless of whether or not they're expecting us. The Hyuuga are nothing more than pawns after all. The streets will be crowded and nothing but mass chaos will ensue once the attack begins. Maximum loss of life will be achieved and we'll finally get to see that rotted village burn to the ground."

"But I haven't even told you the best part!" Zetsu sang and getting a surprised look from the three. "The Hachibi will be there as well!"

The room fell quiet in shock before suddenly a loud bang rang out as Madara slammed his fist down on the table splintering it.

"Those arrogant…pretentious…haughty!" He slammed his hand down on the table again completely splitting it in half. The walls of the room began to quake and a crack as chakra exploded off of the masked man. "To just flaunt to the public the very items that will throw the world into war! I'll show them what happens when you take the words of Uchiha Madara so lightly!"

While Sakura was a little more than shaken up from the pure amount of power and killing intent, Sasuke seemed to look on in only a mild interest.

"I take it you'll take a more active role in destroying the village now?" Sasuke ventured.

The intensity in the room continued for a few more seconds before receding. "Oh I most certainly plan to help raze that god forsaken place to the ground."

"So we're switching targets to the two jinchuriki?"

"No." Madara said after a moment's thought. "We stick to the plan. All I need is the scroll; once I have that then I can resurrect the Jubi and annihilate the village. During the attack while everyone is confused I'll slip in and obtain the scroll. After that, it'll be a walk in the park."

"And what about us and the Zetsu clones?" Sakura asked.

"You two are more than welcome to join the fray once the pawns begin their coup. The Zetsu clones shall remain in reserve until I say so."

"So it's us against an entire village." Sasuke said folding his arms.

"Not feeling up to the challenge?" Madara asked condescendingly.

"Please," Sasuke scoffed, "I look forward to crushing those fools."

"I just have one order for you when the attack begins, Sasuke." Madara said causing his junior to narrow his eyes. "Leave no survivors."

During the entire conversation Sakura had felt her mouth becoming drier and drier as the weight of what they were about to do sunk in. But a sudden wave of nausea gripped her body when Madara explained what he planned to do to the people of the village. Innocent people. And it was made even worse when he told Sasuke he expected him to do the same. It sickened her so much that she need to get fresh air, and she would be damned if she sat around and waited to hear Sasuke's response. She was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to bear it. So, before the Uchiha even had time to open his mouth she grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him towards the door.

"What are you doing Sakura?" He asked in annoyance and confusion.

"We're going to train." Sakura growled out. "You're living in a delusion if you think you can take on an entire village _and_ two jinchuriki."

Before Sasuke had any chance to retort they were out the door and heading towards the surface. Madara and Zetsu followed their movements amusingly until they had disappeared.

"Man, they sure are a lively couple." Zetsu grinned.

"Don't be fooled by her act." Madara's deep voice commanded causing the plant man to look at him in confusion. "She has an ulterior motive, which is why I've saved this last order for only you."

"Oh?" Zetsu sang. "So Sasuke isn't worth knowing the secret plans?"

Madara scoffed. "If the Hyuuga are my pawns, then Sasuke is my knight." Turning towards his minion he continued. "The Hyuuga will most likely fail. I will hold no naïve beliefs that they will succeed and the same goes for Sasuke. If there's one thing the Hidden Leaf Village has proven, it's that it is frustratingly difficult to kill off. No, Sasuke will fall. The main question is how many lives will he take with him and how weak will the village be afterwards?"

"So what are your orders?"

"Wait until the coup has failed and ended—when everyone has celebrated their victory and gone home to bed. When the village has fallen silent for the night, take the entire clone force and attack."

"Anxious to take out the competition?"

"More like, anxious to see my revenge slaked." Madara replied icily as he turned to leave. "You have your orders, rely it to the rest. I expect the Village Hidden in the Leaves to be drowning in its' own blood by the time the sun rises the day after."

Zetsu nodded in understanding but then suddenly asked a question that came to mind. "If the Hyuuga are your pawns, and Sasuke your knight, then what's your king? Your trump card? Your coup de grace?"

Shadows consumed him as he walked away, his crimson eye glinting with such an intense hatred that it glowed in the dark—his low resounding voice echoing off the walls in response to the question as he receded into the depths of the mountain.

"Despair."


	32. Message Received

**A/N: Yoooooooooo! Been forever right? Sorry about that, life has been hectic for me as usual. Finally got some time and busted out this chapter. And guess what? There's **_**another**_** chapter ready too! I'll post it a few days after this one after I'm done putting some final touches on it. My way of saying sorry for taking so long and making it up to you. No response this time, I feel like it's not very relevant to reply to something that was said nearly 3 months ago.**

**Previously:** Naruto and Kurama have a heart to heart about his mother, Kushina. Kurama explains that the dark entity living inside of him named Menma is a mass of negative emotions and a combination of their two chakras. He also explains how Uzushiogakure fell and hints that Renge could give him more details into how it happened. At the same time, Madara explains his plan of his attack on the Hidden Leaf—both his initial and hidden plan.

**Chapter 31: Message Received**

The first thing Hinata noticed when she started coming around was the strange tickling sensation on her hand. The second thing was she was laying on something very soft and comfortable. She would've stayed just as she was in that comfortable warm spot, but the weird tickling she felt was bothering her. So she opened her eyes, or at least tried to. However her eyes decided that after a long hard day of training with her father they were perfectly content with remaining leaded. After about a minute longer though, her body started to come around and her hand that was tickling twitched.

Suddenly the sensation stopped and the first thought that ran through her head was, _"Oh god, SPIDER!"_

However, before she could move again she felt another sensation—this one was firm but soft and caring, and enveloped her whole hand. It made her feel at ease and she relaxed into the roughness that caressed her skin with a content sigh.

"You know Hime," Naruto's voice teased, "you keep sleeping and we're gonna have to find you a prince to wake you up."

"Mmm, but I've already found mine." She replied as her eyes fluttered open and settled on the man before her, the sunlight coming through the window bathing him in a golden light as he sat there holding her hand and rubbing it with his thumb.

Naruto's eyes widened for a second before he suddenly looked away and blushed. A slight frown reached Hinata's lips as she watched this happen. The Naruto in her dreams never blushed and looked away; he always would give her that small charming smile before leaning in and kissing her.

"I-I think you need a second to wake up Hinata." Naruto coughed as he released her hand.

Hinata stared at Naruto for a split second before what was really happening sunk in. This was not a dream. This was real life. And she had just called Naruto "her prince" to his face. There was only one logical explanation to do in a situation like this.

Hinata gasped loudly before sitting up and backing away from him, pressing herself to the wall. "I-I d-didn't—I m-mean—wh-what are y-you—where a-am I?"

Naruto cocked an eyebrow before letting out a laugh and scratching the back of his head. "Well, you're in my room because you fainted silly."

Hinata's eyes widened and then darted around the room to verify it before settling back on him. Slowly her face became redder and redder and her heartbeat steadily got louder in her ears.

"A-Alone in y-y-your r-room?" She squeaked while squeezing her legs to her chest.

"Huh? Yeah I suppose so." Naruto said rubbing his chin in thought. "Obaa-chan and jiji are out right now and Karin-chan is in the bathroom taking a bath."

Hinata let out a smaller gasp as her thoughts began to race. _"I'm in his room! I'm in Naruto-kun's room. I'm in his room alone with him! What should I say? What should I do?!"_

Her thoughts were sporadic, her face burning, and her blood roaring in her ears. Yet through all the internal chaos one small little command seemed to make its way to the front of her mind and answer her question. _"Take him!"_

Hinata froze only for a split second at the thought before her body was moving on its' own. She pushed off the wall and scooted across the bed before stopping on the edge directly across from Naruto. Her cheeks burned as she reached out and took his hands in hers, causing him to blush as well at the sudden forwardness she showed. Her heart beat so loud in her ears she swore Naruto could hear it. But she pushed forward, slowly, trying to close the distance between them.

"Naruto-kun…" She said breathlessly, staring into his eyes.

"_Take him!"_

"Yeah, Hime?"

"_Take him!"_

"I-I…" She stuttered out as she leaned slowly in.

"_Take him!"_

"J-Just wanted t-to…" Her eyes shifted to his lips.

"_Take him!"_

"T-T-To say…" She continued in a whisper as her eyes grew heavy and she parted her lips slightly—his breath tickling her cheeks and sending her chest into flutters.

"_Take him! Take him! Take him!"_

"I'm…sorry." She finished as she ducked her head quickly and placed it in the crook of his neck.

"_Coward."_

"…_I know…"_ She bit her lip.

"Ah, don't worry about it Hina-chan." Naruto said with a laugh as he wrapped his arms around her and shifted up, onto the bed next to her. "You gave us all quite the scare when you showed up but I'm just glad to see that you're alright and everything's been cleared up."

Hinata peaked up at him and was met with his foxy grin before he leaned down and whispered conspiratorially into her ear, "Between you and me, I kinda like the feisty Hinata when she isn't scary."

Hinata let out an 'eep' before ducking back into his chest to hide her blush, causing him to chuckle.

"But I gotta know," he said after a pause, his face growing thoughtful. "Was breaking down my door really necessary?"

If Hinata hadn't wanted to faint from embarrassment before, now she definitely wanted to as the string of memories resurfaced, and leading them was the memory of her firmly sending the poor door into oblivion.

"I-I am s-so sorry!" She began to splutter. "I'll p-pay f-f-for it I prom–"

"—Don't worry about it," Naruto interrupted as he pressed a finger to her lips and smiled. "I was just joking."

Hinata blinked once before she gave a small scowl and her cheeks puffed out in a mixture of frustration at being teased and embarrassment. "N-Not f-funny Naruto-kun!"

Naruto gave her a squeeze as he leaned back against the wall and gave her a small genuine smile. "Sorry, Hinata. I couldn't help it."

"W-Whatever." Hinata huffed as best she could while slapping him lightly on the chest. "J-Just don't m-make a habit o-out of it."

Naruto gave her another squeeze and she nuzzled closer into his chest while her hand came up instinctively and loosely gripped his shirt. They remained that way, in that all too perfect comfortable silence they knew so well. The light coming through the window slowly fading was the only indication of time passing them by, the oranges and reds cascading across them and the bed—painting them with the colors.

"I wish it could stay like this." Naruto said softly after nearly a half hour of silence.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked looking up at him.

He nodded towards the window, and then looked around the room before his eyes came to rest on hers. A small smile graced his lips but it was different from the usual ones he gave her. This one seemed tired, exhausted, and burdened beyond compare.

"This moment right here." He said looking out the window again. "I wish it would never end. I could live my entire life in this moment—not having to worry about tomorrow. About what could go wrong, who might get hurt, what bad might happen. Just…right here is where I want to be…"

"…_with you."_ He finished.

It was while his thoughts were wandering he felt it. The warm feeling of something wet being pressed softly against his cheek. His eyes widened in shock and he looked down to see Hinata looking up at him wide eyed as well, almost unbelieving at what she had just done. The blushes dusting their cheeks lit up with a fiery red passion, painted on by the crimson skies that were slowly fading away into purple and blues. Their defenses down and hearts open in this one fleeting moment of peace they shared together.

"Hinata." Naruto whispered slowly leaning down to her.

"Naruto-kun." Hinata panted back breathlessly as her eyes began to close and her lips parted.

This was it, the moment she had always waited for! They were finally going to kiss. All of her nights spent dreaming, her days spent imagining, they were all about to come true in this one, single, perfect moment they were sharing together. Their lips were just centimeters away and she could practically taste him!

But a sudden repeating burst of chakra sent her jerking back.

"What was that?" Hinata asked alarmed.

"Oh you've got to be _kidding_ me!" Naruto groaned as he slammed his head back against the wall behind him.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from down the hall followed by the footfall of wet feet before Karin suddenly burst into the room panting, dripping wet, and towel thrown around her haphazardly.

"What's wrong nii-sama?!" Karin shouted in panic, searching the room. "I felt the pulse of chakra and then heard a bang! Is everything okay?"

"What? Yes, everything is fine Karin!" Naruto said exasperatedly before going red and looking away "Gah! Towel Karin! Fix your towel!"

Blushing a bright crimson, Karin adjusted her towel making her slightly more decent. It was during this that Hinata noticed something.

"Karin-san is that a razor?" Hinata asked innocently.

"Huh? U-Uh maybe?" Karin said suddenly putting it behind her back and blushing in embarrassment.

Naruto suddenly grinned catching on to what Hinata was getting at. "Kar-chan, were you going to try and rescue me with a razor?"

"S-Shut up n-nii-sama! S-So what if I w-was?" Karin whined as she inched for the door.

"I'm flattered." Naruto said with a smile before he looked at Hinata and they both burst into laughter.

"W-Whatever!" Karin huffed as she turned to leave.

"Hang on Karin." Naruto said wiping a tear away. Shifting off the bed he stood up and walked to the closet and grabbed one of his spare orange jackets. "I'm going to be leaving so you'll be home by yourself."

"Where are you going?" Karin asked, suddenly scared at the idea of being left alone. Naruto didn't reply which worried the Hyuuga heiress as well.

"Naruto-kun?" She asked quietly.

Naruto slipped the jacket on but left it unzipped, his black t-shirt with the Uzumaki symbol in red left for the world to see.

"I can't tell you where I'll be." He said solemnly turning to look at the girls. "But I'll be home later okay?"

"H-Hai, nii-sama." Karin said a bit saddened.

"Hey, none of that now." Naruto said with a smile and a wave. "You need to relax and Renge shouldn't be gone for too long. If you get hungry there's food in the cabinets." His reassuring smile managed to get a small one out of the red head before she nodded and left. He then turned his attention to Hinata who was still sitting on his bed and gave her a smile. "Hime, I could escort you home if you'd like?"

Another rapid set of chakra coded bursts caused the blonde to grimace before he pressed a hand to his shoulder and sent a reply.

"On second thought, I can escort you to my front door." He said with a sheepish grin.

Hinata giggled and stood up, taking a second to press out the wrinkles in her jacket. "That's f-fine Naruto-kun." She then looked at him worriedly. "Just be c-careful, okay?"

Naruto grinned and took her arm in his as he escorted her to the front door. "I'll be fine; you just promise that _you'll_ be careful Hime."

Hinata gave him another cute pout, something she was quickly realizing was easy, as he opened the door for her and said, "Y-You think I'm n-not s-strong enough t-to d-defend myself?"

"I think we both know the answer to that." Naruto chuckled as he locked the door behind him before turning to her. "I just can't help but worry for the people I care about."

Before she could say anything else he wrapped her up in a hug that had her melting into his arms. "Keep in touch Hinata-chan, no need to be a stranger."

Hinata pushed back after a moment and gave him her best serious look. "S-Same goes for y-you Naruto-kun."

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose so, huh? I'll do my best Hime."

Hinata smiled and nodded content with knowing that they would be seeing each other again soon. That's all she could ask for. It was all she wanted, really.

* * *

><p>"Again!" Jihibiki's voice roared through the cave.<p>

The sounds of pants and gasps echoed off the walls as four shinobi in the center bent over doing their best to recover. Sweat poured off of their bare skin and their clothes and hair clung to them in messes.

"I…I don't think…I have much more…left in me." Shikamaru tried to get out, falling to his knees.

"Dig…deep!" Naruto gasped as he pushed himself up.

"We're…out of…time." Shino wheezed as he readied himself.

"We have…to get this…right." Sai panted.

Jihibiki stood there in front of them wearing nothing but pants, his bare torso scarred and dripping with sweat. His long white hair was pulled up in a pony tail and shifted behind him with every turn of his head. His muscles tensed and he readied himself.

"On my mark." Jihibiki said. The four of them nodded in response. "Three…"

The four of them reined in their breathing.

"Two…"

They tensed and Naruto grabbed a kunai from his pouch.

"One…"

All four of them brought their right hands to in front of their chests.

"Go!"

In an instant all four of them brought their hands up to their faces and raked their hands across them. As their hands passed by a black smoke billowed out behind and then settled as the masks of the Night Angels. When the masks had completely solidified, all four of them suddenly burst into a dark haze before it resettled around them in loose black hooded robes.

It happened faster than Jihibiki could blink. Shikamaru slapped his hands together and in the next fraction of a second the kunai Naruto was holding was rocketing towards him, the sound barrier breaking from the speed it was traveling. And Naruto hadn't even appeared to move.

The speed was too great for even Jihibiki to react to, but that didn't stop him from defending. Just before the kunai sunk into him seal matrices spiraled out of his chest and halted the weapon before it could even prick his skin—the sonic boom was still reverberating off of the walls as the kunai began to drop. Blurring his hands forward towards the Night Angels, chakra chains burst out and locked on to them.

Reacting in turn, Sai jumped in to meet the chains while Shino leapt back and Naruto and Shikamaru stayed where they were. Tanto blurring from the speed, Sai sliced at every chain as he made his way towards Jihibiki—each chain disappearing into wisps as his blade sealed away the chakra.

"Not bad boy," Jihibiki praised with a grin, "but you're still too slow!"

Sai's blade cut through Jihibiki smoothly revealing an after-image, his gray mask frowning as it looked at the spot where the elderly Uzumaki once stood. The sound barrier broke once again as a chakra chain exploded from Naruto's hand towards the ceiling and a yelp could be heard as the tip buried into the stone where Jihibiki had once been.

"Well done on finding me, even with my chakra completely suppressed." The old man continued to praise. "I take it that was your doing, Shino-kun?" Crouching down and then launching himself from the ceiling, Jihibiki summoned a naginata. "Guess I better take care of you first then!"

Shino had barely enough time to draw two kunai and bring them up in a cross block before Jihibiki was on him. When the blades connected Shino felt himself slide back from the blow and his arms stung as the power behind the attack vibrated his very bones. Even though Jihibiki was ages older than him, he still found himself being pushed back from the older man's flawless fighting style. Realizing that he needed to come up with something fast, Shino sent a wordless command to his beetles and they began to swarm out from his body. The process lasted less than three seconds before lightning erupted from Jihibiki's body and started to fry his insect comrades. Quickly calling a retreat, Shino was so distracted at trying to get his bugs to safety that he missed a parry and found he was wide open for an over head attack—his dark blue mask watched on with indifference as the blade sailed towards his head.

Just as the blade was about to strike him, Sai appeared and blocked the blow. Before Jihibiki could move again the painter then grabbed the blade and twisted it out of his hands, surprising him and leaving him open to a side kick that sent Jihibiki sliding back. As Jihibiki was starting to slow to a stop he was forced to leap back quickly as black spikes burst from the ground and continued to form rapidly in a quick procession after him.

"Is that all you've got?" Jihibiki jeered when he saw the shadows finally taper off. "I'm disappointed in you Shikamaru."

Shikimaru's white mask simply smiled at him, and Jihibiki could have sworn he saw a twinkle in those black eyes. The shadow user responded by making the ram sign and Jihibiki's attention was drawn back to the shadows in front of him. Watching in horror, the spikes opened into a void and from it a ball of explosive tags launched out at him. He barely managed to react as the ball ignited with a concussive blast.

"Earth Style: Dragon Armor!"

The blast sent Jihibiki sliding even further back, but the hardened earth armor that morphed around him protected him just in time. However, just as he was sliding to a stop the warning bells started going off in Jihibiki's head and he looked up to see Naruto's black void of a mask barreling down towards him with a Rasengan in hand.

"Good!" Jihibiki grinned as he summoned a katana. "But not good enough!"

The blade blurred towards Naruto and just as it was about to slice through his mask, he disappeared in a burst of dark haze.

Jihibiki blinked in surprise as he over extended, but movement behind and below him caught his eye. Reversing the sword, he stabbed at Naruto as he reappeared in his blind spot with the Rasengan still in hand.

But Jihibiki was surprised once again as Naruto brought a kunai up and sliced his blade in half. He could only watch as his great grandson buried his father's signature attack into his gut and sent him careening backwards—his armor reduced to dust—and slam into the wall.

As the dust cleared a strained chuckle could be heard from Jihibiki. "Good job boys…that last one…took the wind out of me." Rising up, Jihibiki brushed the remnants of his earthen armor off and grinned. "I think we can call it a night."

"Oh thank god!" Shikamaru gasped as his mask vaporized and he fell down on all fours. Something that was quickly followed suit by his teammates.

"Why are you so tired?" Sai panted looking over at him. "You barely even moved."

"Fuck…You…"

"Go easy on him Sai." Naruto said as he recovered first and managed to make it to his knees. "Shikamaru has it the hardest trying to increase his range of time manipulation."

"It's true." Shino replied quietly, his breathing too ragged to speak any louder. "Out of all of us…Shikamaru is the only one…who is capable of expanding his powers to others."

As if to prove a point Shikamaru flopped over on his back and continued to gasp for air.

"Hey, I'm not gonna have to carry you home again am I?" Naruto asked with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure Temari is gonna skin me alive if she catches me draggin' your ass home again."

"Hmm, his stamina could use a little more work." Jihibiki mused.

"Give him to baa-chan then." Naruto suggested.

Shikamaru's eyes bulged and a high pitched whine escaped his lips before he scrambled to his feet. "I-I'm fine! N-No need to involve Renge!"

He had seen Naruto literally crawl back from one of Renge's training exercises. If she did that to Naruto, the Satan energizer bunny from hell, god only knew what she'd do to him. He was so caught up in his terror that he missed the grins everyone else was wearing and only came to when he heard their laughter.

"Hate you." He muttered, crossing his arms. "Hate you all."

"Aw don't be like that!" Naruto said slapping him on the back. "It is getting late though, how about we all turn in for the night?"

"It would be nice to return home after such an extended leave." Shino said.

"And I do miss your couch." Sai replied with a smile.

Naruto felt a sweat drop forming but chose to ignore Sai's comment and focused more on Shino's. The past two days had been a blur for all of them. They hadn't returned home at all, focusing all of their time and energy on training, eating, and sleeping. They had lived in the cave and if Naruto was honest with himself, he was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.

"I'd say let's go shower up and get drinks, but I think we could all use bed at this point." Naruto said after a moment's thought.

"Sounds good to me." Shikamaru grumbled.

"Right behind you." Shino said.

"Hey where'd Sai go?" Naruto asked.

The four of them looked around but couldn't find him anywhere. Suddenly the door leading to the showers opened and steam poured out into the training room. Stepping into the room, Sai was dressed in nothing more than a towel, shower cap, and holding a luffa and rubber ducky.

"How wants to help Captain Quackers defeat the Kraken and save the city of Bath-topia?" Sai asked, squeaking the duck for emphasis.

The group deadpanned at him before turning to each other.

"It's kinda creepy how much he loves baths." Naruto said.

"How old is he again?" Shikamaru asked.

"A better question," Shino pointed out, "whose turn is it to play with him?"

"I believe it would be your turn, Jiji." Naruto replied with a smirk.

"Oh no, I played with him last time!" Jihibiki yelled, waving his hands.

"Then that means it's your turn Shino." Shikamaru said apologetically.

"I was afraid of that." Shino sighed.

Turning back to Sai, Shino reached into his pocket and pulled out a rubber shark. Giving it a squeak he answered, "Private Fins reporting for duty sir! Let's go save that city!"

* * *

><p>They were silent as they walked down the main road. The darkness washed over them and they basked in the faint light of the stars and occasional street lights. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts, and as a group they dropped one another off at home. First the Aburame compound, then the Nara—which had a Temari waiting outside impatiently. She yelled at Shikamaru for taking too long to get home but they could hear the underlying worry in her voice. It was confirmed when Shikamaru draped his arm across her shoulder as they walked back to his house and she quickly clung to his body.<p>

"They certainly wasted no time." Sai commented as he and Naruto walked back to the blonde's apartment. He had started staying with Naruto right after he had recruited him for the black op, and he had been crashing on the couch ever since. However, things changed now that Karin had moved in and the outcome had been hilarious to say the least.

"A bit hypocritical coming from you don't ya think?" Naruto asked.

"I am Samui-chan's escort while she remains in this village." Sai replied evenly. "There's nothing going on between us."

"Uh huh." Naruto replied unconvinced. Sai opened his mouth to give a retort but he was cut off as Naruto continued. "In any case, I'm happy for you."

The comment caught Sai off guard and he had to take a second to register what he heard.

"Happy? For me?" he asked confused.

"Of course. You're a lot like me. We both had shitty childhoods growing up. It makes me happy to know that you've managed to find happiness in spite of everything that's happened." Naruto fell silent for a moment as they continued to walk through the darkness, almost as if he was struggling for words. After a moment he added, "It's reassuring. To know that…someone like me—no—my brother is capable of happiness…"

Sai's eyes widened in shock and his head snapped around to the blonde next to him. "B-Brother?"

They had come to a stop now, and Naruto was shifting back and forth, glad that it was dark out so Sai couldn't see his face heating up. It wasn't everyday he opened up to people completely, but Sai was not only a comrade and a friend—he was someone who was familiar with a harsh early life, experienced loss, and grown from it. They had a rocky start, sure, but what siblings didn't fight. It kind of made him giddy inside to think of him as a surrogate brother, much like he and Sasuke saw each other.

"I…I've only ever called one other person my brother Sai. Please," Naruto said quietly looking Sai in the eyes, "don't make me regret calling you one too…"

Sai was at a loss for words. All you could do was stare at the blonde across from him in shock at the confession he just heard. It made him feel weird. There was this warmth rising up from his stomach and for some reason he could feel his throat starting to constrict. He could feel his face heating up and then suddenly his vision blurred. Startled, he raised his fingers to his face and felt the hot tears running down his cheeks.

Letting out a mix between a choked sob and a laugh he tried to wipe the tears away and replied, "You have the strangest affect on me Naruto. I knew staying close to you was a good thing." Giving him a smile and a playful punch he finished, "Don't worry Dickless, you won't regret your decision."

Naruto scowled at his nickname but soon they both broke into laughter. The laughed the rest of the way home and only managed to regain their composure when they were just outside the apartment door. Still smiling, Naruto undid the lock and seals and opened the door. Walking in with smiles still on their faces, they found Karin and Jihibiki watching TV and Renge in the kitchen making popcorn. The three Uzumaki stopped what they were doing and looked at them before Jihibiki finally spoke.

"You two just did something bromantic, didn't you."

"What makes you say that?" Naruto asked.

"Because I can smell the tears, vulnerability, and embarrassment from here." Renge called from the kitchen before her voice suddenly said, "Oh god, did you just take each other's innocence?"

"What?!" Naruto blanched.

"Gay sex?" Karin asked.

The room fell silent for a solid minute before Sai turned to a speechless Naruto and said, "I'll be your brother, but I refuse to be related to this part of the family."

Naruto laughed sheepishly and rubbed his neck. "Sorry Sai, it's a package deal."

"I'll need to sleep on it then."

"And just where do you think you'll be sleeping?" Karin asked; her voice even as she stared at him with an impassive gaze.

"Why the couch of course." Sai replied.

"Not unless you can answer my question."

Naruto sighed and made for his room, he wanted a shower. He couldn't understand them when it came to the couch. It had been an ongoing battle ever since Karin moved in. For some reason they both insisted on sleeping on the couch—despite the fact that he had a perfectly good spare bedroom! Instead, every night since her arrival Karin would give Sai a question and he would have to answer it. If he got it right, then he could sleep on the couch and she would take the bed. If he got it wrong, then the couch went to Karin. So far the running tally was Karin 3, Sai 0.

"Give it up Sai, you're never gonna win!" Naruto called from his bedroom.

"Bring it on." Sai said as he challenged the red head for the right of the upholstery.

"Well tonight let's change it up, I'll make it an easy one for you." Karin said catching Sai off guard. "What is the perfect nickname for me?"

"The perfect…nickname" He echoed back.

"Yes." Karin said with a nod. "What nickname fully embodies me, the perfect definition, the defining trait that explains my character."

The apartment fell silent as everyone waited for Sai's answer. Jihibiki even muted the TV and from the bathroom Naruto strained to hear Sai's answer over the running water.

Sai thought hard about the perfect nickname for Karin. His eyes went up and down her before traveling around the room. He glanced at Jihibiki for help and Renge for answers, both of which had become oddly silent as the waited on abated breaths—like they were praying for some kind of answer. Or maybe some kind of answer not to be said. And then suddenly the answer came.

Grinning victoriously, Sai turned to Karin. "I have figured out the answer to your question Karin, and you'll be surprised it doesn't just pertain to you."

"Oh no…" Jihibiki groaned.

"It in fact, could be applied to your entire clan as a whole." Sai continued.

"No, no, no!" Renge's voice could be heard as she banged her head against the wall.

"What is your answer!?" Karin demanded.

"FIRE-CROTCH!" Sai shouted while shooting his arm up with a V for victory.

The entire apartment fell silent again. That was, until snickering could be heard from down the hall before Naruto erupted into full blown laughter. A crash was soon followed as Naruto fell out of the shower clutching his sides in pain, tears rolling down his face.

"Our name…" Jihibiki sighed.

"Our curse…" Renge grimaced.

"Our legend…" They both said at the same time.

Sai turned to Karin and smiled. "Looks like I win the couch tonig—"

The rest was cut off as Karin's fist smashed into Sai's face and sent him flying through the door—literally—and down the street.

"Ya can have it if ya wake up in time ta get back here." Karin yelled waving her fist.

"I am _not_ fixing that door again!" Naruto said as he came into the living room and toweled his hair.

"S-Sorry nii-sama." Karin said as she turned around and gave him a puppy dog look.

It took one glance for Naruto to cave. With a sigh he created some shadow clones that went to the closet and came back with a spare door and tool box.

"Pathetic." Jihibiki snickered.

Karin heard this and then turned to him. "Jiji, I hurt my hand when I punched that meanie, Sai. Could you get me a cold drink to help with the pain?"

In less time than Naruto caved, Jihibiki was scrambling to the refrigerator to find a pop or juice that he could give his sweet, precious, little granddaughter.

"Tch, hypocrite." Naruto muttered.

"Don't be salty; all women have that gift." Renge said as she came into the living room with a bowl of popcorn. Sitting down, she then quirked an eyebrow at him. "That was a quick shower, and you're dressed too. Going somewhere?"

Naruto was in fact not in his pajamas but in his typical getup nowadays. His usual orange and black track pants, black athletic shirt with an orange Uzumaki symbol across his chest, and his sage cloak worn over top.

"I am actually," Naruto said. "I've got a meeting with Tsunade-baachan in fifteen minutes."

"It's nearly midnight though!" Karin said.

"Guess that's still early enough to get my ass ripped for the little stunt I pulled earlier this week."

"Sorry." Karin said dipping her head down.

"Meh, don't worry about it." Naruto said waving her off. "I'm heading out. I don't know when I'll be back, so don't wait up."

Walking to the door Naruto stopped just as he was about to exit. "Oh and Karin, let Sai sleep on the couch tonight."

"But he called us fire-crotch!"

"No, he called _you_ guys' fire-crotch." Naruto smirked pointing to his head. "I'm still good."

"Traitor!" All three Uzumakis shouted at him as he shut the door behind him with a laugh.

* * *

><p>The quick knock at her door caused Tsunade to jump. Looking up she knew it could only be one person.<p>

"Enter." She said.

The door opened and Naruto strode in. Coming to a stop in front of her desk, he gave a sharp bow before standing at attention silently waiting for her orders. The professionalism actually impressed Tsunade as well as slightly concerned her.

"Chill out brat, you're making this tenser than what it has to be."

"Easy for you to say baa-chan, I've had shit sleep for the past week waiting on this report to come in." Naruto said relaxing a little. "Has it still not come in?"

Tsunade shook her head and Naruto let out a weary sigh. Giving her a quick hand sign she nodded and activated the privacy barriers in the room.

"Why is this taking so long?" Naruto asked. "Shouldn't the report have come in by now?"

Tsunade was silent for a moment before she let out a sigh and rubbed her exhausted eyes. "I know patience isn't your strongest suit but it's the time frame Sakura designated."

"When is the report supposed to arrive?" Naruto asked.

"Any minute now."

Naruto would have believed her if she didn't sound so unconvinced by her own words. Sakura was a punctual person and always had things done before the appointed time. Understandably this scenario was different but it still didn't sit well with either one of them.

"Baa-chan…"

"I know Naruto…I know…" Tsunade said quietly looking up.

Naruto met her gaze before giving her a reassuring smile. "Ah, who am I kiddin'? Sakura is stronger than me! I'm sure she's fine!"

"Naruto…"

"Don't worry about her baa-chan; I'm sure she's just getting some last minute details into her report." Naruto said while sticking his hands in his pockets. "While we're waiting, do ya wanna talk about the other day?"

Tsunade sat there in shock before she frowned and gave another sigh.

"What you did was such an extreme act of insubordination that I don't even know how to go about punishing you."

"You could always not?" Naruto joked.

Tsunade responded with a glare. "No, in fact if I don't then what kind of message does that send to the village? You rebelled against your leader, Naruto. Other villages would have you imprisoned or even executed for that!"

"But she was innocent." Naruto said folding his arms.

"She may be, but her actions weren't." Tsunade replied. "Look Naruto, I was going to have her released eventually, but not until this whole mess had blown over."

"So there's no problem then."

"There is now!" Tsunade said slamming her hands down. "You went against me Naruto, and to top that off more and more of the village is siding with you every day!"

"W-What?" Naruto asked shocked.

"It's a good thing I plan on nominating you for the position next gaki, because if I didn't you would most certainly have been eliminated by now."

Naruto gulped audibly but then smirked. "So when do I get the hat?"

Tsunade just sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Keep up this Mr. Hot-shit charades and I'll never give it to you." Naruto scowled and Tsunade smirked. "Since I was going to release Karin it's not that big of a deal, but because you flew off the handle and stood against me you'll have to be punished."

Naruto hung his head and sighed. "What's it gonna be?"

"A week of D-rank missions—"

"I swear if you make me try and catch the god forsaken cat I _will_ kill it!"

"Play your cards right and you might only have to do half on good behavior." Tsunade said with a smirk. "I'll give a statement tomorrow explaining how Karin was to be released from prison anyways. She will be considered a citizen of Konohagakure and will be assimilated into the shinobi forces for a determined amount of time to make up for her past actions. After which she may choose to stay or leave."

Naruto was quiet for a moment as he thought everything over and nodded. "That should ease the public's view of her at least."

Tsunade nodded as well. "Tell her that I want her in my office tomorrow morning at 10. Understood?"

"Ya got it, baa-chan!" Naruto said with a thumb up.

"Good, now all we—"

The rest of what Tsunade was about to say was cut off when Katsuyu appeared on her desk in a puff of smoke. Recovering from her shock, Tsunade bombarded the poor slug summon with questions.

"Katsuyu, do you have the scroll?"

"Right here, Tsunade-sama." Katsuyu said regurgitating the scroll.

"Why were you late? Is something wrong with Sakura?"

"I um…that is—she…well…." Katsuyu stumbled out. "S-Sakura-sama is fine. If th-that is all then I will be going!"

With another puff of smoke the slug disappeared leaving a stunned Naruto and Tsunade behind.

After a moment of silence, Naruto looked up at Tsunade and asked, "Was that slug blushing?"


	33. Stress Relief

**A/N: Yo, back again like I promised. As I'm uploading this chapter I'm working on the next one too, so **_**hopefully**_** in another week you'll have an update again. I have a mission for you, my loyal and lovely readers. If anyone can find any fan art that seems related to this story let me know. I'd like to put a more accurate picture up as the cover for this story. Also, if you are a graphic master of sort and want to make a cover I'd be more than happy to use it. Maybe we can work out some kind of reward or something. Like exclusive previews to the chapters? Dunno, leavin up in the air but you're help would be appreciated. **

**A lot of the reviews were the same. Sai is a comical gold nugget, the Night Angels are like Ichigo's hollow powers (which is what I was shooting for ), and when the FUCK are Hinata and Naruto going to kiss? (soon…very soon).**

**Dksamuri: **It's really irritating to hear that there are still mistakes like that after I've posted. I always read through at least 3 times and that crap still gets through. Thanks for letting me know.

**Hektols:** I know what you mean but Naruto isn't exactly your normal genin. I might do an omake to show the kind of D-ranks he'll get, but they won't be your typical ones. Much more humiliating.

**FlameDragon14:** I am trying to distribute the characterization evenly, so Shino will probably get the spot light here soon for a bit.

*****IMPORTANT MESSAGE!*****

**The following chapter is not necessary for the progression of the story. While it does show some character development it can be passed. This chapter is a Lemon, if you do not wish to read this, then don't. If you are too young to read this don't. If you're too young to read this and do and then go ask your parents about it—please reply with a picture of your parents' faces so that I can appreciate their looks of horror before this story gets removed.**

**Now for the rest of you—my smut loving little closet pervs—know that this is the first lemon I've done, so bare with me.**

**Chapter 32: Stress Relief**

It had been three days since the meeting, and with each passing day he'd gotten less sleep. The bags under his eyes were deepening and dark rings were forming under his eyes. But whenever he tried to sleep at night he found no relief. All he could do was stare at the ceiling, or the wall, tossing back and forth as his mind wandered—wondering what would happen when the battle finally took place. He needed to get sleep. If he didn't, then they'd most likely fail. The odds weren't exactly in their favor to begin with.

Rolling over and glancing at the alarm clock, Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh when it flashed 11:45 at him. Sitting up, he tossed the covers to the side and got out of bed. Maybe Sakura had something for insomnia? He glanced at the clock again and then unconsciously rubbed his jaw. Then again, maybe waking her up this late wouldn't be in his best interest. She had made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't put up with his shit anymore.

Heaving a sigh, Sasuke got up and turned to his bathroom instead. He turned the sink on and waited for the warm water to pool in the basin. After splashing the water on his face he glanced at the mirror and saw his pale reflection stare back at him, his eyes accented by the dark rings.

"Fuck it," Sasuke said throwing the towel down, "I want sleep, she can hit me afterwards."

Before he could think twice about his decision, Sasuke was out of his room and walking down the hall towards his teammate. Tired and focused on sleep, he never even noticed what he was wearing—or lack thereof.

* * *

><p>Sakura glanced at the clock one more time—11:45. It was time. Getting up from her bed she made her way to the bathroom, shut the door, locked it, and turned the shower on. She then pulled a tiny scroll from her pocket and set it on the sink before looking at her reflection in the mirror.<p>

She was a wreck. She was pale, her hands were shaking, and her heart was racing. She paced back and forth in the small space and every couple of steps she would glance at the sink. Any moment now a slug would show up to take her information, but playing the waiting game was destroying her. This was the most crucial part of her entire mission—hundreds of thousands of lives depended on her—if she could stop the initial invasion, they could very well stop the entire war. She couldn't fail. She _wouldn't _fail. But this entire operation hinged on her not getting caught.

The knock at her door nearly caused Sakura to scream in terror. Her eyes widened and her stomach knotted as she stared at the door. Had they figured it out? Was her cover blown? She felt like she was going to vomit and her heart was nearly beating out of her chest, but she refused to go down without a fight. Gathering chakra, she prepared to prematurely summon Katsuya and pass of the scroll before bursting through the door in a desperate attempt to buy time.

Sasuke must have sensed the impending doom because his voice suddenly called through the door causing Sakura to pause.

"Sakura it's me! I know it's late but I need your help."

Sakura felt her control over her chakra slip as she eased up. What if it was a trap? It could be just to catch her off guard. But the tone of his voice was what caused her to pause and slowly open the door just a crack.

"What do you want Sasuke, I'm about to get a shower." Sakura asked.

Sasuke shifted side to side struggling for words. "I…I can't sleep."

"And so you came to me?"

"I figured you could help somehow." Sasuke replied with a scowl.

Sakura's lip drew tight and she gave a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Give me a minute."

Closing the door, Sakura turned the shower off and then moved the tiny scroll back behind the faucet of the sink. Hopefully the small slug would spot it when it appeared.

Leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her, Sakura spoke, "Okay Sasuke-kun, what is the prob—"

The rest of her sentence was caught in her throat when she found Sasuke sitting on her bed in nothing more than his boxers. Her face turned a fierce red as she averted her eyes and began to sputter.

"S-S-Sas-uke! Wh-Why aren't y-you wearing a-a-anything!"

Sasuke's face contorted in confusion as he looked down and realized he really was wearing nothing. In his sleep deprived state he had forgotten to put anything on. His face turned a faint pink in embarrassment but he shook it off.

"You've seen me like this before when you did my physical. It's nothing you haven't seen before." he replied calmly.

"Th-That was d-different!"

"How?" Sasuke asked.

"I-It just is!" Sakura said throwing her bathrobe at him. "Make yourself decent!"

"_As if I don't already have enough on my mind!"_ Sakura thought as her eyes slowly drifted over his well toned body, taut and radiating power just beneath the surface. She could already tell her dreams would be plagued with images of him for the next few weeks.

Sasuke slipped the robe on and then looked at her. "Is there anything you can do to help me sleep?"

Sakura sighed and pulled her desk chair over and sat down across from him. Giving him a quick check up, she asked him standard questions about his sleeping pattern. When she was done she sat back with another tired sigh and glanced at the clock. Only five minutes had passed since she had tried to get a shower, but to her it had seemed like an eternity.

"It sounds like you just have a lot on your mind Sasuke-kun." Sakura said finally.

"Isn't there something you can do?" he asked in annoyance.

"I'm a doctor, not a psychologist." she said folding her arms.

"What about medicine for sleep? Isn't there something I could take?"

"Yes," Sakura said, "but not here."

Sasuke let out a groan and rubbed his exhausted eyes. At this rate he wouldn't be coherent for the invasion, let alone ready to lead to take on the entire village. His mind was starting to go numb, but his head throbbed with exhaustion. The exhaustion added to his stress and fed the throbbing in a vicious cycle.

Sakura sat across from Sasuke and felt a pang of helplessness shoot through her. She wanted to help but she had no idea how. Her eyes slowly drank in the form across from her, the robes opening revealing the tense muscles hidden by the layer of cotton. She could feel her face heating up again and the images of what she would love to do with him flashed through her mind. Her body stiffened for a moment before she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind and she felt her own tense muscles ache from the movement. God she was going to need a serious massage after this mission was over. She smiled helplessly at her predicament before her eyes bulged at her realization.

Getting up, Sakura moved over and sat back down next to Sasuke. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he never even noticed her movements until she placed a hand gently on his leg.

"Sasuke-kun," she said softly, "I want you to take the robe off."

"W-What?!" Sasuke asked as his head jerked towards her. His face started to turn pink again seeing Sakura's own blush wasn't helping. "I just put it on!"

"Just…trust me, ok?"

Sasuke hesitated for a moment but finally conceded. Slipping the robe off, he let it fall to the floor and sat there next to his pink haired teammate waiting for what was to come. It was already weird enough, but when she placed her hand lightly on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed things started to get out of control and his eyes widened.

"What are you doing Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his voice a mixture of embarrassment and surprise.

"Roll over."

"What?"

"Roll over on your stomach." she explained. "I'm going to give you a massage, you're too tense."

Sasuke stared at her for a moment debating on whether or not it would be a good idea. Seeing his indecision Sakura added, "It will help you relax and fall asleep."

Those were the magic words. Almost in an instant he was on his stomach, arms down at his sides and ready to go. Going over to her dresser, Sakura pulled out one of the few commodities she allowed herself to bring—cherry blossom scented lotion.

Walking back to Sasuke, she could have sworn she saw something flash through his eyes and in that instant she felt hot excitement shoot through her body. A small burst of adrenalin jump started her heart and she could feel her breath quicken slightly. In the spur of the moment, she reached up and she pulled the bandanna she was wearing off and allowed her hair to fall. At the same time, her hips swayed just a little more as she closed the distance between them. Something in her was beginning to stir, a tingling sensation that started in her stomach and began working its ways to her extremities. It was intoxicating and Sakura couldn't help it as her tongue darted out and she licked her lips in anticipation.

And through it all Sasuke's eyes never left her, every movement she made he followed, drinking in the way her body flowed gracefully.

"I hope you don't mind the smell." Sakura said softly as she opened the bottle and squeezed some of the lotion out. Rubbing it on her hands to warm it, she then began to spread it out over his back.

"Always liked the smell of sakura," Sasuke muttered as his eyes started to drift close. "Reminds me of spring when I was young; when I used to go on picnics with my mother and brother."

"Sounds nice," Sakura said with a small smile.

"Mmm," he responded half in acknowledgment to what she said and half in bliss as her hands worked over his muscles.

"Sasuke-kun, you're so tense. Do you ever relax?"

A sigh escaped from the Uchiha but it wasn't one of relaxation. Instead, it sounded heavy. Tired. Burdened beyond belief. It caused Sakura to frown a little and before she knew what she was doing she acted. Throwing her leg over Sasuke, she straddled him and allowed her hands to glide gently across his skin.

"S-Sakura?" Sasuke said in surprise as he looked up at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Relax," she cooed with a warm smile, "I can get a better angle like this."

Before he could say anything, she pressed down with her thumbs and a groan escaped his lips. It made her happy to see how much he melted in her hands. He needed this; and with each passing movement of her hand it became more and more apparent. Pausing to get more lotion, she was unprepared when Sasuke spoke.

"Why did you abandon the village?"

Rubbing some lotion through her hands, she returned to his back and focused more on his spine. "Because I wanted to be with you."

"Why?"

The question caused her to stop and her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you want to be with me so badly?" Sasuke asked looking up at her again from the corner of his eye.

"I told you already." Sakura said with a huff, her already present blush darkening. "It's because I love you."

"But _why_ do you love me?" Sasuke asked his voice sounding a little strained. "What did I ever do to deserve your love? What did I do to deserve anyone's love?"

Sakura sat there with her hands resting against his back, shocked at what she had just heard.

"Sasuke-kun…"

"I don't deserve love." he said quietly. "Not yours…Not Itachi's… Not anyone's."

A frown appeared on Sakura's face, and it only deepened as Sasuke spoke. Normally she would have yelled at him and then smacked him for acting so moody. But not this time. This time she just listened, because the slight shaking of shoulders told her just how vulnerable he was truly feeling.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked tenderly caressing his back.

"I'm tired Sakura. So tired of all of this. Tired of who I am…Of what I've become…Of this life! I'm just so fucking tired of it all!" Silence fell between them as he took a moment to steady his breathing before continuing. "I'm a traitor to the village that raised me. I grew up hating the man that took everything from me, and when I finally killed him I found out it was all to protect me. I nearly killed my best friend, and I forced you to abandon your home…So tell me. What makes me so deserving of your love? What makes me deserving of anything remotely pertaining to that emotion?"

His voice echoed off the walls of her room, the anger reverberating back at them as he waited for a reply. He wasn't angry at her, how could he be? After everything she had done for him he owed his life to her. But he was so furious with how his life had played out, like some sick story filled with tragedy and doomed romance. He didn't want that, he didn't want any part of it. He was brought out of his thoughts though when he felt something warm and wet dripping onto his back.

"I love you Sasuke…" Sakura whispered, "…because I choose to."

"But _why_?" Sasuke asked, his voice nearly breaking from the strain as he fought to stay composed. "Why do you love me when I'm such a terrible person?"

She slid off of his back and sat down next to him on the edge of the bed—hands balled into fists in her lap. She was silent and all Sasuke could do was stare at her as he waited for a question. Finally, after a deafening silence, she spoke.

"Do you remember what you told Kakashi-sensei when we first became a team? About what your goals were as a ninja?" She didn't wait for a response. "You said that you didn't have a dream, but an ambition. You wanted to kill Itachi and restore your clan. It was those words, Sasuke, which made me fall for you. They were the words of someone who would see that justice was served, but also of someone who would move on afterwards. You wanted to move on back then."

Turning to look him in the eyes, green met black onyx, both holding tears of pain and sorrow. "You've completed your first goal…so why can't you move on to your second?"

"I can't forgive the village for what it did to my clan and brother." Sasuke said with quiet conviction, but his tone held weariness.

"The blame doesn't fall to the village, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Of the five responsible for the massacre, three of them are already dead. Why can't we just go back? Why can't we go back and properly convict the last two? We could start over…we could all start over."

"You and I both know it wouldn't happen like that."

"We could still try." Sakura choked out. Standing up, she walked a few steps away and stood there with her head tilted down and her arms wrapped around herself.

Sasuke lay there staring after her for moment before silently getting up and walking to her. Stopping just short, he stood there fighting for words but none came out. After a few minutes Sakura finally broke the silence.

"No matter what they say…No matter what anyone says…I will always love you." Turning to him with tear stains on her cheeks she said, "I will always love the boy who wanted justice and a life afterwards."

"Sakura…" Sasuke said quietly as his hand came up and cupped her cheek. She leaned into it and closed her eyes, her hand coming up and covering his while her other came to a rest on his bare chest. She could feel his strong, steady heart beating just beneath his warm skin.

"I want you to love me Sasuke-kun…I want you to love me as much as I love you…but if you don't think that's possible then I'll leave you be." Opening her eyes, her sad smile grew as she radiated a pure accepting love. "If you really think that killing everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village will atone for what happened to your clan then I will help you. But afterwards…you have to promise me that you'll kill me too."

Sasuke's eyes widened and his throat tightened, but before he could say anything Sakura took his hand in both of hers and continued.

"I'll do it, but I won't be able to live with myself afterwards. I can't have their deaths on my hands and still never be acknowledged by you. So when you're done, and you finally feel that you've served your justice, take my life too." Looking down she squeezed her eyes shut as more tears slipped out. "Promise me."

Sasuke could only stand there in shock as he stared at the woman across from him. She would do what was necessary, even if she didn't agree with it, for the one she loved. But afterwards she would seek death to atone for it. She sounded just like Itachi.

Suddenly a rush came over Sasuke and his hand started to slip from Sakura's. Just like Itachi. She would sacrifice herself for him, just like Itachi. He finally understood how much he meant to her, and how far she was willing to go. And just like with Itachi, when he finally understood she would be gone—departed from this plane of existence. Like everything else, she would be taken from him. Like his family. Like his brother. Like his life. She would be torn away from him.

A sudden tightness seized his chest as her hand finally slipped from his grasp.

"Promise me." she whispered again.

"No."

"What?" she asked looking up quickly.

"No!" Sasuke repeated, this time louder. Grabbing her by the shoulders he stared her in the eyes with such ferocity it almost scared her. "I won't lose you too! I refuse to lose you!"

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura tried to say more but her voice betrayed her. Her head tilted up to his as she hung on to every word he said.

"You're all I have left Sakura-chan." Sasuke said.

Before she knew what was happening, Sasuke had closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. And as soon as the initial shock wore off her mind was overloaded with an explosion of different stimuli. His warm lips, his hot body, his strong arms, all of it touching, pressing, and holding her and sending her mind through loops of pure bliss.

Pulling back after a few seconds they stared at each other wide eyed and still clinging to one another.

"Sorry," Sasuke said, "I—"

The rest was cut off when Sakura threw her arms around his neck and closed the distance again. Lips smashed against his hungrily, and Sasuke stared at her in shock before his eyes slowly closed as the kiss deepened. The rush he felt was overpowering and his hands moved shakily on their own: one going to the small of her back and pulling her into him more while the other ran through her hair. His heart was practically pounding out of his chest, and deep within him he felt a primal hunger awaken full force. His breathing became erratic as his excitement rose and the smell of Sakura filled his nose. His mind became drunk on the intoxicating scents he inhaled with each hot breath. Loosing himself, his hand tightened and he gave a soft unintentional tug on her hair.

The reaction was instantaneous as a slow, sensual moan escaped her lips and reverberated against Sasuke's. She could feel her face heating up: partly because of what she just did, but mostly because how badly she wanted him. It wasn't just her face though; she could feel it in her entire body. Her stomach tingled with anticipated excitement as it made its way down between her legs where the warm arousal was begin to turn into red hot lust. Unable to control herself anymore, she pushed against him and they both tumbled onto her bed.

They broke apart and stared at each other briefly, their ragged feverish breath tickling each other's exposed skin. Their eyes searching one another's faces before both settling on their lips and in an instant they hungrily recaptured them.

Sakura was losing whatever inhibitions she previously held with each passing second the kiss continued. Another moan escaped her as she ground her hips against Sasuke's. Her hands ran over his naked torso and basked in power she felt at her fingertips. His muscles rippled with each breath, every jerk, every caress of his body. And as she continued to explore Sasuke's body eagerly, a bulge began to grow in his boxers which only served to encourage her more as another wave of lust overwhelmed her. The arousal was causing her to lose her mind and without even thinking she reached up and grabbed two handfuls of his hair and gave a quick tug. Just like her, the sudden jolt caused Sasuke to give a quiet moan of pleasure and before he could close his mouth she slipped her tongue in.

They both froze at the foreign feeling, but only for a moment. They recovered at the same time, both slowly and awkwardly getting used to the new kiss. But before long the alien feeling vanished and they found themselves in a fierce tongue war over territory. A hot, passion filled battle played out in their mouths as they wrestled for dominance.

After what seemed like an eternity they finally broke apart and gasping for air. Glancing down at her still covered chest, Sasuke's hands came up and tugged up on the ends of her shirt. Before she could even think, she was helping him remove the obstruction and tossing it to the floor. She leaned in to capture his lips again but suddenly found herself changing positions as Sasuke flipped her over and propped himself up above her. His eyes bore into hers possessively as his lips parted and his husky voice whispered one word that sent goose bumps rushing over her skin in excitement.

"Mine."

Sakura lay there in shock for a moment before a coy smile crept across her face and her eyes slowly closed.

"Yours." she purred back and reclaimed his lips.

The shiver of excitement that ran through Sasuke was something he'd never experienced before in his life. His body moved on its' own as he hungrily pulled the woman below him closer—his hands roaming over her body, testing and rubbing her, basking in the sounds she made. The scent of sweat and something else he had never smelled before reached his nose and quickly pushed him into an erotic frenzy—his body quivering in anticipation at what was to come.

He didn't remember it happening, or even how, but he suddenly realized they were both naked. In the blur of adrenalin, lust, and passion he found himself propped above the pinkette, staring at her in shock and feverish ardor, waiting to see what she said. She seemed to be just as surprised at first, coming to the same realization he just had. But then a enticing smile tugged at her lips.

"Yours," she said giving a little thrust against his now fully engorged member. "All yours. Just be gentle."

She could tell that he wanted to take her then and there. Drive into her hard and fast, but a flash of concern flitted across his face before he leaned in and gave her a steamy kiss. Their hands intertwined and Sasuke slowly slid in little by little. At first she had been worried it would hurt, but that was quickly put to rest when she realized just how wet she really was. She could feel the sheets beneath her already soaked from her excitement. It still hurt a little, but before she knew it Sasuke had completely filled her and was staring at her with a confused look on his face. Looking up at him with just as much confusion, it clicked just as he opened his mouth and she cut him off.

"You're about to say something incredibly stupid." she said before giving him a light smack across the face and then sliding up to get a handful of hair. Pulling him back down to her she said with a smile, "I'm a kunoichi. Things happen. You're still my first."

Sasuke's only reply was a sheepish grin before a strange sensation began to radiate from below and he looked down in panic. Sakura gave a light laugh when she saw his face but to his relief—and astonishment—he saw her using the Mystic Palm on herself.

"It takes away the pain of it being your first time." Sakura explained before he could even ask. "It lets me enjoy it just as much as you do."

"Isn't that cheating?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.

"Wanna know a secret?" she whispered into his ear in a sultry tone. "All the kunoichi know the basic Mystic Palm just for their first time."

Before he could even respond, she gave a buck with her hips and they both tilted their heads back at the wave of pleasure that shot through them. Looking back down at her, Sasuke locked lips with Sakura and began rocking back and forth—each thrust bringing a burst of ecstasy more powerful than the last.

It took a few tries, but eventually Sakura found his rhythm and matched it, her well toned and athletic legs wrapping around his waist and pulling him deeper and deeper into her. It was becoming difficult to breathe as each thrust tightened the knot inside her more and more. Her nails dug into his shoulders greedily and moans escaped her lips in hot, broken, gasps as he kissed up and down her neck—his warm lips tickling and teasing her. His breath sending shivers through her body. A hand found its' way to her chest caressed her mounds, kneading them and sending little jolts of delight ricocheting through her. His fingers gave her hardened nipple a quick pinch and her entire body bucked—her back arching up and her nails raking across his back as a loud gasp escaped her. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last, and to be honest she was pleasantly surprised he'd managed this long.

Suddenly an explosion rocked her body as Sasuke dug his hips into her own. He pushed deeper, rubbing up against her pink nub on the outside and sending a whole new sensation slamming through her. Her head shot back and her hands clasped onto his shoulders in a death grip as an earth shaking moan erupted from her.

"Oh god! Sasuke-kun, right there! Do-on't st-o-op."

Her whole body worked to quicken the pace as she raced towards the climax. She was at the edge. The knot couldn't coil any tighter. All she needed was one little nudge and she would fall off into an endless ocean of ecstasy.

And a nudge was what she got. Over, and over, and over again.

Sasuke ground his hips into hers. The waves of pleasure rolling through her continuously—each time more intense than the last as the tightly bound knot released itself with a mighty burst of sheet clenching pleasure. Her head tilted back but no sound escaped her mouth as her eyes squeezed shut and she rode out the orgasm in blissful paralysis.

And Sasuke followed right behind her, reaching his limit as she tightened and clamped down around him. A moan managed to escape from him before he leaned down and kissed her passionately, slowing and deepening his thrusts as the waves of ecstasy died down until he finally came to a stop. With a heavenly sigh, he rolled over and sprawled out on the bed panting in contentment.

Finally finding her breath again, Sakura glowed with a smile. "That was…amazing…"

Sasuke's only response was a light snore, exhaustion finally catching up to him. Stress gone, his burdens lifted for the night, sleep finally consumed him in a tidal wave of long overdue peace. But even so a small smile still graced his lips.

"Asshole," Sakura said with a smirk as she slapped him lightly across the chest before cuddling up against him, "such a typical guy."

"…Mine…" was all Sasuke responded with as he slipped an arm under her waist and pulled her closer to him.

"That's right…" Sakura said gently with a smile as a tear slid down the side of her face. "All yours…don't ever forget that."

Closing her eyes, Sakura slipped away into a blissful sleep. Content that for the night, she was in the arms of the man she loved.

* * *

><p>On the other side of the room, through the bathroom door, Katsuyu had <em>finally<em> managed to make it across the sink and absorb the scroll—the entire time having listened to the none-too-subtle noises. Blushing furiously she disappeared in a small puff of smoke, swearing that she would take what she'd just heard to the grave.

The things summons do for their summoners.


	34. Moving Out, Moving Up

**A/N: Yo, it's been…yeah. I wish I could have updated sooner, a LOT sooner, but shit on my end has been totally crammed. I know I say it a lot but it's the truth. 60 hour work weeks, transferring colleges, original story in the works…I can ashamedly say this story got neglected and I feel it's inexcusable. I wanted to have at least another chapter written before I posted this one just so I could give you a second update quickly but I realize that I'm tired of making you guys wait. It's not fair to you and I'm pissed at myself for allowing this long of a gap in updates to happen. Please forgive me. That being said, I must admit you guys were rather…vocal about the last chapter. It was great to see I didn't totally bomb the scene and while I understand you're feeling miffed about a SakuSas lemon, think of it like this. Wouldn't you rather I have a little experience under my belt for when I finally write that steamy scene everyone's just dying to see? I know I would! Also, I may have lied about the significance of last chapter, it's actually kinda really important. On a final note, I would like to have a new chapter up in a week. If I don't, I want each and every one of you to PM me with a message that says "Kick in the Balls!" Nothing more, nothing less because I'll deserve it. Just to be nice this chapter his chock full of hilarious moments to make up for the long wait. Enjoy!**

**Shadow Vortex632**: I just may use that idea lol. Don't worry, I'll give you a shout out if I do!

**Hektols**: I agree with you it would be hilarious. Unfortunately, the way I have the story planned out that won't happen.

**Nivlac**: George Tek—? Ah, never mind ;)

**Bombies**: You may not have an account on here, but I'll thank you for the compliment! I agree, I am a bit of an evil dictator when it comes to things like cliffhangers and the likes. But hey, it keeps you guys hooked!

**Narutovsjesus:** You'll be surprised just how important last chapter ends up being.

**Andakin117:** I appreciate the review and I'm glad someone out there took the time to actually break down how I portray my characters. A big thanks to you my friend!

**Last Time:** Sasuke and Sakura got it on. That is all. Oh, and Katsuya is a perv.

**Chapter 33: Moving Out, Moving Up**

The past week had been nothing more than a blur for Karin. The majority of her time was spent inside the apartment sleeping, eating, or asking Renge questions. So when Naruto plopped a money pouch on the table and suggested she go explore the village and buy some new clothes for the upcoming festival—it caught her slightly off guard.

Naruto was somewhat of a mystery to her. He was kind, bright, fun-loving, and not to mention powerful. But there were times when he thought he was alone—when no one could sense his thoughts—that a darker aura seemed to take hold of him. She remembered the night he came home in the early hours of the morning. She had fallen asleep on the couch watching T.V. but had awoken when he came through the door. The look on his face was completely different from the usual one he had. It was shadowed, troubled, and there were bags under his eyes from an obvious lack of sleep. His shoulders were tense and the slightest hint of a frown could be seen on his face.

Needless to say, Karin was worried about her self-appointed brother. However, at the moment she had a slightly more concerning problem. She found herself wandering around the shopping district aimlessly, clueless as to where she was going, and the people seemed to notice. Not that her bright red hair helped any, but the citizens seemed to notice she was an outsider. She could see them trying to discreetly point and whisper whatever rumors were making the rounds on the street. Ducking her head down, Karin did her best to try and avoid the glances and make her way to wherever the godforsaken clothing store was. Catching a window that seemed to advertise ninja apparel, she eagerly went inside to get off the street for a little bit.

The bell rang as she stepped inside and a voice instantly responded.

"Welcome to Shinobi Outfitter, all walls are 25% off and—oh it's you…" A girl behind the counter muttered. Her bright attitude suddenly replaced with a resenting stare.

"I was hoping you'd have some blouses and shorts." Karin said, trying to avoid sounding too meek. It was so unlike her, and it was driving her crazy. Usually she was loud and quick to yell if annoyed, but in an entire village where everyone stared at you like you might be infected she couldn't help but feel slightly vulnerable. Beside, this place was her home now and the first place where she actually belonged. She didn't want to be hated…

"Back wall," was all the black bob haired girl said, waving her off dismissively and inspecting her nails.

Karin nodded and headed to the back of the store to inspect the collection. Finding a blouse in the right size and color, she inspected the fabric closely wanting to make sure she wasn't being cheated. From what she could tell while not the best fabric, it wasn't the worst either. And if there wasn't a sale then she would definitely be getting ripped off. Just as she came to the decision to buy a couple pairs the door chimed again and a loud group of people walked in shouting and laughing.

"Isane!" One of the girls in the group called out to the girl behind the counter. "We got tired of waiting for you to get off work so we decided to visit. How's it been today?"

Isane smiled but then frowned. "Okay for the _most_ part." She said as her eyes flicked to the back wall and then back to the group.

The group glanced at the wall where she had looked and found the red head sticking out like a sore thumb.

"Oi, isn't that the prisoner that Naruto-san released?" One of the boys asked.

"I heard she was from the same group that attacked the village." Another boy added.

"Kanmi-chan said she seduced Naruto-kun and that's why she was set free." The girl that greeted Isane added.

"Figures," A second one muttered, "what a whore. Spreads her legs to get off the hook."

"I don't care who she is or what she's done." Isane frowned while folding her arms. "What she _is,_ is an inconvenience."

At the back wall, Karin's hand shook as she reached for a pair of shorts in her size. They weren't trying to be subtle in their conversation and it was having an effect on her. While angry, Karin also found herself trying not to cry. Once again her emotions were proving to be frustrating due to their indecisiveness. All she wanted was to be accepted and feel at home, but the untrusting and downright hateful glares she was receiving were making it feel like she had made a mistake in leaving her prison cell.

"_Better to rot away alone in self-loathing than to burn away under hate and scorn."_ Karin thought as her throat tightened and she squeezed her eyes shut.

Clutching onto the jacket Naruto had loaned her as a source of comfort, Karin tried to push the tears down and grabbed a few pairs of shorts. She arrived at the register a few moments later and slapped the clothing onto the counter, ignoring the group to her right as the stared.

An awkward silence fell as Isane rang up the merchandise. The group stared at Karin. Karin stared at Isane. Isane stared at the clothing. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Isane punched a few more buttons into the register and hit enter.

"You're total is 1,963,000 ryō." Isane said without even a smile.

Karin started to reach for her money before she suddenly stopped and looked at the girl in disbelief. "There's no way," she said before motioning behind her. "What about the 25% off?"

"That only applies to Konoha citizens." Isane said glaringly.

"I am a citizen." Karin ground out.

"Then let me see your I.D."

"I…don't have one yet…"

"What was that?" Isane asked, to which the rest of the group laughed earning a smirk from the sales associate.

"I don't have one yet." Karin said again looking down in anger. Her face was starting to heat up and she could feel tears threatening to spill. This was so embarrassing.

"Well then I can't give you the discount." Isane said with a note of finality.

Karin looked down at the money pouch in her hand. She had enough to buy the clothes; her nii-sama had made sure of that. But that's all she would be able to afford. She was hoping to get some mesh armor to wear underneath but it looked like she would have to ask Naruto for more money. Once again, embarrassing.

Just as Karin was about to hand the roll of ryō over someone came up next to her and threw down a massive pile of white training robes all of different sizes. It was the breaking point for the red head, to be ridiculed, scorned, _and _cut in line was just too much. As she rounded on the stranger in a rage with tears in her eyes a brief moment of familiarity registered and her words died in her throat.

"I'm sorry; I know you close soon so I tried to hurry." Hinata said with a smile to Isane. "However, I suddenly find myself torn between wanting to shop around a bit and sticking to my list."

"Take all the time you need, Hinata-sama." Isane said with a superficial smile. If Karin wasn't trained she would've missed the brief flicker of irritation and…was that envy?

Hinata nodded and then turned to Karin. "Karin-chan it's so good to see you again!" She gave the red head a genuine smile that instantly put her at ease but then frowned. "Please tell me you are not looking to buy those clothes."

Karin could only look dumbly down at the clothes on the counter before looking back at the heiress and shrugging. "No?"

"Good." Hinata said with smile, ignoring the look of agitation that was beginning to creep onto Isane's face. "Those clothes are much too cheaply made to be of any use on a mission."

"Then why are you shopping here?" Isane asked, barely hiding her contempt.

"Oh well the Hyuuga training is so rigorous that our robes are constantly being torn and destroyed. It doesn't matter what quality the robes are because of the techniques we use so we like to just go ahead and buy these cheaply made things." Hinata smiled as she picked up one of the robes for show before tossing it on the counter.

"How fortunate for you." Isane muttered with a glare.

"Indeed." Hinata said with a fake smile before putting a finger to her chin. "However, I suddenly find the customer service here wanting. What do you think Karin-chan?"

Karin blinked before a grin grew across her face. "I'd say it's a little more than wanting. But you know how civvies are…" She waved her hand towards Isane. "Never appreciative of anything ninja do."

"I am completely appreciative of everything the ninja do for this village." Isane growled out glaring Karin. "However, _you_ are not a ninja of this village. In fact, you aren't even a _civilian_ of this village. You're just some worthless trash this village decided to take pity on."

The group next to the snickered as they watched the feud go back and forth, obviously rooting for their friend behind the counter.

"Don't forget, Isane-san, that it was Naruto-kun that took Karin-chan in." Hinata corrected. "She is his family after all."

"Well then Naruto is a bigger idiot than what the rumors say!" Isane snapped back.

Karin was about to defend Naruto when a sudden chill fell over her followed by a sudden fear for her own life. Glancing towards the source, she found Hinata with death glare fixed on Isane, her K.I. so thick that the girl was practically choking on the air.

"Naruto-kun. Is. Not. Stupid." Hinata said evenly, but the rage in her words were barely contained just beneath the surface. "Understood?"

Isane could only nod, but as soon as she did the atmosphere changed instantly.

"Excellent!" Hinata chirped brightly as if just a second ago she hadn't been about to send a Hollow Fist into the girls chest. She then turned to Karin and grabbed her hand. "Come on Karin; let's go see if we can't find some better deals. I'm sure Isane-san won't mind staying a little later to clean up the store."

Isane shook her head no but then stopped. "Clean up the store?"

As soon as the words left her lips, Hinata turned around at the door and sent an Air Palm smashing into the first isle, which then domino-ed down the entire length of the store.

"I may have made a little mess while browsing." Hinata said sweetly with a smile. "Sorry for the trouble."

She then turned and led a stunned Karin out into the streets. Once they were outside, Hinata turned to her and gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry to have caused such a scene; it would appear Naruto-kun is rubbing off on me a little."

"A little?" Karin echoed.

"It upsets me when people look down on others."

"You won't get in trouble will you?" Karin asked, suddenly worried she had just gotten his nii-sama's girlfriend in trouble.

"Oh don't worry about it." Hinata said waving her off. "This nothing compared to the time Lee-kun got drunk at the Hibachi restaurant. Poor Neji-nii was so beat up afterwards from trying to restrain him."

Karin's head snapped up at the mention of Neji's name. "Neji-kun is your brother?"

"Cousin, but we're close enough to be siblings."

Karin shifted back and forth while looking at the ground blushing for a moment before asking, "I know it's not my place to ask since we hardly know each other, but could you tell me how Neji-kun is?

Hinata cocked an eyebrow at Karin before the realization dawned on her. She was the reason Neji had been showing up late and looked like he had gotten barely any sleep for the past few weeks. Hinata had just chalked it up to the rigorous training, but it all made sense now. Why Neji had been taken out of the I.D. and placed on temporary probation.

The surprise must have shown on her face because once Karin saw it she began to wave her hands and sputter. "I-I know I have n-no right asking you since we hardly know each other! But since you're nii-sama's girlfriend I'd hoped you wouldn't mind telling me! I-It's okay if y-you don't want to!"

Karin's face was beat red and burning a hole into the street so she missed Hinata's face doing the exact same.

"L-Let's f-fi-nd a store!" Hinata said grabbing her hand and dragging her down the road. "We'll d-discuss n-nii-san there."

* * *

><p>Naruto let out a content sigh as he slipped his key into the door. It had been an intense week of preparations and the only thing he wanted to do now was crash on the couch for the rest of the day. With all the planning, stress, and training he was long overdue for some high quality couch potato-ing.<p>

Unfortunately, the stars were not in proper alignment for this kind of evening because as soon as his door opened he was greeted with a giant plume of black rancid smoke billowing into his face. Temporarily blinded by tears caused by the poisonous cloud, Naruto coughed violently and waved his hand in a desperate attempt to clear the air before a sudden unearthly wail echoed through the apartment.

The next second there was a crash before Renge's panicked voice shouted, "Shut the door! We can't let it escape into the world!"

Naruto had just enough time to stumble into the smoke screened apartment before another shriek came from the kitchen and moved quickly towards him and the door. Slamming the door behind him, Naruto managed to make out through his tears a blob like shadow come to a stop just in front of him before suddenly darting into the living room with another screech.

"What the hell was that?!" Naruto shouted while pointing at the spot that had just held the mysterious creature. "And why the hell is the apartment on fire!?"

Suddenly, Sai appeared before him wearing what was once a white apron, oven mits, and—for some unknown reason—wrap around glass goggles. His face was smeared with soot and his hair was blown back in a way that made him look like he'd just taken a paper bomb to the face. A crazed grin grew across Sai's face as he said, "It's dinner!"

He then pulled out a kunai and dove into the living room.

Renge appeared right after him with a look of horror on her face. "I'm glad you're here! Quick, make some shadow clones so we can kill it!"

"What the hell is happening?" Naruto asked hysterically, throwing his hands into the air before coughing on the smoke.

"I tried to teach Sai how to cook." Renge said and then looked into the living room when she heard a crash. "The key word here being _tried._"

Naruto stared at the woman in shock before limply pointing into the living room. "You mean to tell me you two created that thing?" Receiving a nod Naruto then threw his hands in the air again, "What the hell happened?!"

"I don't really know myself." Renge said scratching her head. "I told Sai the secret to any cooking is to put love into it…" Another screech echoed through the apartment followed by a crash that uncannily sounded like the potted peace lily being smashed to bits. "…Whatever he put into it, it wasn't love."

"Ya think!?" Naruto said sarcastically before he was forced to duck as Sai came flying back through the doorway and slammed into the wall.

"He is indeed a worthy opponent." Sai gasped out as he stood up and nursed his ribs. "I may need your help with it."

Naruto stared at the two crazed members of his family before bowing his head and sighing in resignation. Making his signature hand sign, four clones popped into existence.

"Go put out whatever is burning in the kitchen." Naruto said pointing at one of the clones who nodded. "The rest of you are with me."

Pulling out kunai, they all trudged into the living room. And so began the incident that would forever be known as the Uzumaki Kitchen Fiasco.

* * *

><p>Karin let out another giggle as she and Hinata listened to Tenten's recount of her and Lee's first date. The group was in the process of helping the red head carry all of her supplies home and it allowed them to catch up on what they had missed. Hinata had insisted the best place to buy any ninja apparel was from Tenten's store. She couldn't have been more right. It took only five minutes for Karin to find everything she needed with the help of the other two girls. The last hour and a half though had been filled with nothing but gossip and Tenten's current regaling of her disastrous date with the taijutsu master.<p>

"So let me get this straight, not only does he completely destroy the restaurant, but he also doesn't remember a thing afterwards?" Karin asked between breathes of air.

"I've never been so embarrassed in my entire life. How was I supposed to know fermented seaweed wraps would get him drunk?" Tenten said rubbing her temples. "I was so mad at him, all I wanted to do was pummel him into the ground! But I knew it would cause an even bigger scene." She let out a sigh, "Oh well, it almost saved him."

"Almost?" Hinata asked through a giggle of her own.

"I was going to spare him until he pinched my ass and called me his little brown sugar panda!" Tenten said with a blush as she crossed her arms. This earned another round of laughs and caused her to scowl. "Oh shut it! I don't see either of you two going on dates!"

It had the desired effect as both of them shut up and blushed. After a moment though Hinata managed to stammer out, "Actually I h-have a date with Naruto-kun tomorrow."

Tenten blinked once before she let out a squeal and hugged the Hyuuga heiress. "It's about damn time! How did he ask you out? Was he nervous? Do you think he's freaking out right now?" Tenten's eyes suddenly widened and she turned to Karin. "You live with him now! Has he been a nervous wreck?"

Karin and Hinata both took a step back from the weapons mistress before Karin shook her head.

"I honestly don't know how nii-sama is feeling. I rarely ever see him and when I do it's only for a brief time before he goes to sleep or leaves again." Karin said with concern evident in her voice.

"Seriously?" Tenten asked getting a nod from Karin. "Huh, well I wonder what he's up to then. Must be pretty important."

She failed to see Hinata shift uncomfortably as they turned the finally corner and came to a sudden stop. Looking on in horror, the three girls watched as black smog rolled out of Karin's apartment.

"Naruto!" Karin and Hinata yelled at the same time as they dropped their things and sprinted towards the building.

They were making their way up the stairs when a sudden beam of lightning shot out the side of apartment and cleanly cut through an entire wall before tapering off. Seconds later a torrent of water blew out a window causing even more black smoke to roll out. Terrified at what could possibly be happening, Hinata was about to reach for the door when an orange blur burst through it and slammed into the metal railing causing it to dent from the force.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted in shock and tried to make her way towards him.

Naruto had just enough time to let out a groan and looked towards her in confusion before Renge cried out, "Naruto, seal the door!"

Swearing under his breath, Naruto leapt up and through the doors leaving a completely stupefied Hinata behind with her hand still outstretched towards where he once was. Flipping through some hand seals, Naruto landed inside the apartment and slammed his hand on the ground causing a thin blue light to rise up through the doorway and effectively seal it off. He then gave the girls a sheepish grin before disappearing back into the smoky abyss. Shortly after another baleful wail echoed through the apartment before the wall further on down the walkway blew out from what appeared to be an earth jutsu.

"There it is!" Jihibiki shouted, the girls listening on with trepidation. "Kill it with fire!"

There was another explosion and what appeared to be a part of the roof was blown away by a fire ball jutsu.

"Fools!" Sai's cackled maniacally. "Fire is what _gave _it life!"

"Fuck I lost sight of it, where did it go?" Naruto shouted hysterically.

"I see it!" Said a familiar voice, causing both Karin and Hinata to blink in surprise. "It went back into the kitchen!"

"Nii-san?" Hinata asked in confusion.

"What is going on?" Karin asked just as confused.

"Hinata! Karin!" Naruto's voice suddenly rang out causing both of them to jump. "Get out of here now!"

"B-But nii-sama" Karin stammered out, "we want to—"

The rest of what she was going to say turned into a scream which Hinata joined in on when a sudden brown blob slammed into the doorway barrier and screeched. It seemed to glare at them before opening its' circular mouth and begin to suck on the blue light—rows of sharply hooked teeth grating against the chakra force field. Then as quickly as it appeared it darted away and a kunai struck the place where it had just been followed shortly after by an explosion from the paper bomb attached to it.

"Go now!" Naruto commanded.

The two girls didn't need any more convincing. Turning on their heels, they sprinted back the way they had come. Upon arriving at the stairs, they found Tenten who had just managed to make it to the top.

"Hey guys, what the hell is going—" The rest of what the bun girl was going to say was cut off as both Karin and Hinata hooked their arms through hers and dragged her backwards down the steps.

Back in the apartment, Naruto let out a less than manly cry of terror as he managed to barely dodge an attack from Frankenslime, which the creature had quickly been dubbed.

"Have a little dignity!" Jihibiki snorted before letting out a high pitched squeal as the creature suddenly attacked his leg. "Get it off! Get it off!"

Managing to kick it off, the brown blob let loose a battle cry as it flew through the air and attached to Neji's face. Said Hyuuga then proceeded to run through the apartment flailing his arms in the air and crashing into things as he muffled cries for help echoed through rooms. Running head first into a wall, the creature let out a yelp before detaching itself from Neji and plopping to the ground. As the others surrounded it to aide their wounded comrade, Frankenslime's back raised up like hackles before it hissed and shot into the living room again.

"Are you hurt?" Naruto asked as he helped the man up.

"Only my dignity." Neji replied morosely.

"We've all taken a hit to that today." Jihibiki groused.

"Did you see where Frankenslime went?" Sai asked.

"I think I saw it go under the couch." Renge replied.

A look of terror crossed Sai's face and he tried to rush into the room. However, Naruto and Renge managed to grab the pale artist before he could. "Let me go!" Sai shouted as he struggled desperately. "We have to save it! We have to save the couch!"

"Dammit man, get a hold of yourself!" Naruto shouted as he smacked Sai across the face. The shock seemed to knock Sai back into reality and Naruto explained, "We have it right where we want it. Frankenslime thinks it's safe under the couch. All we have to do is hit it with something big."

"Y-You don't mean…" Sai said dreadfully quiet.

Naruto nodded, "We have to sacrifice it Sai. It's for the greater good."

"I…I understand." Sai replied heartbroken. "Please, let me do it. I brought this thing into this world, it's only fitting that I take it out."

The others nodded and Sai slowly turned towards the door to the living room. Slowly reaching into his pack, he grabbed an adhesive paper bomb and peeled the back cover off of it. Pulling his hand back dejectedly, Sai took aim and threw the explosive—the weighted end sending it sailing through the air before it silently slapped up against the side of the couch and stuck.

Taking one last look at the upholstery crafted by the gods, a single tear rolled down his cheek as Sai whispered, "Good bye…old friend."

Holding up his hand, he detonated the bomb.

Outside, Karin, Hinata, and Tenten watched on in grim fascination as a massive fireball exploded through the roof of the apartment. Seconds later, they watched as a large flaming object came rocketing back towards the earth.

"What is that?" Tenten asked as she squinted against the sun.

The fireball smashed into the street in a cloud of smoke and when it finally cleared it was Karin who identified the object.

"Noooooooo!" The red head screamed as she fell to her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! No! No!" Crawling towards the wreckage, she could only hover over the still burning cinders while crying out. "My…My precious!"

* * *

><p>When Naruto and everyone else stumbled out of the smoldering wreckage that was once their apartment, they were greeted by three things. A large group of citizens, a sobbing Karin who was being watched by said group of citizens as she mourned the couch, and a group of Anbu trying to maintain order.<p>

"Dibs on the distraught red head." Neji said as he shuffled over to console the crying Uzumaki.

"We'll take the crowd!" Jihibiki chirped while he and Renge quickly moved to calm and disperse the people.

Naruto blinked before realization set in and he shouted, "Nose goes!" as he put a finger to his nose.

Looking over, he nearly face planted when he saw Sai already rubbing his nose in an attempt to get the soot out of it. He looked over at the disheartened blonde and asked, "Nose goes? It goes on your face, right?"

"Sonuvabitch…" Naruto muttered as he trudged slowly up to the Anbu captain in charge of the group, giving a half hearted wave and a weak smile.

"Naruto-sama," the captain said with a respectful nod. "What exactly…" he paused as he looked at the apartment completely engulfed in flames, "…happened here?"

Closing his eyes, Naruto took a deep breath before exhaling and looking at them. "Well boys, this story begins with a man who tried to play god…"

…2 Hours Later—Hokage's Office…

"So let me get this straight," Tsunade said as she tried, and failed, to fight off the massive migraine. "This is all started because _you_," she said pointing at Renge, "tried to teach _him,_" she then pointed at Sai, "how to cook. Then _you_," she then pointed at Naruto, "came back to a home science fair project gone wrong. Am I forgetting anyone?"

"Me, Hokage-sama." Neji said flatly.

"Oh right…wait, how did you end up in this whole mess?" Tsunade asked confused.

"Well…"

**Flashback—2.5 hours ago**

Neji was slightly concerned by the noxious smoke pouring from Naruto's apartment but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he was honest, he had more important things to worry about. Knocking on the door he was surprised when it swung open and found a soot covered Naruto looking at him with a crazed gleam in his eye.

"Neji?"

"Naruto, I would like to speak with Karin-chan. Is she home?"

"Nope! But we need your help!"

Before Neji could say anything Naruto grabbed the front of his robes and dragged him inside while slamming the door shut behind him.

**Flashback End**

"…and that about sums it up," Neji said as he sagely folded his arms.

Tsunade could only stare at the group as her bottom eyelid twitched uncontrollably. Before any of them could react, she grabbed the nearest scroll and threw it at the Hyuuga's head which sent him spiraling to the floor with a yelp.

"BAKA!" Tsunade shouted. "Don't go saying something like that and then finish with, 'and that about sums it up'! It explains nothing!" She leveled them all with a withering glare. "How did this…" she squinted at the report, "_Frankenslime_, even come to life? Why is it that a jonin with a bloodline, two seal masters, and a toad sage couldn't defeat this thing with less collateral? Why was Karin found a complete mess in front of a pile of ashes that was once the living room couch? And why? Why?! WHY?! Did I have to send out _another_ Anbu squad to fetch the first one I sent, only to find them sitting cross legged and wide eyed on the ground as they listened to _you_?!" Tsunade finished near hysteric as she threw another scroll and beamed Naruto in the head this time.

"In his defense, Tsunade-chan, it was a very riveting story." Jihibiki said with a grin before he found himself on the floor with the others thanks to another scroll.

Climbing back to his feet, Naruto said, "I think we're overlooking the fact that Sai actually managed to bring something to life with his cooking…oof!"

Sai looked at his adoptive brother as he nursed another lump on his head thanks to a second scroll. Looking around the room at the others he then turned to Tsunade and opened his mouth only to have a scroll slam right between his eyes and topple him over.

"You don't speak!" Tsunade said menacingly as she pointed at the artist.

"Where the hell are you getting all these scrolls from?!" Naruto asked exasperatedly, this time managing to duck under the incoming missile of wrapped parchment.

"Why the hell can't this family stay out of trouble?" Tsunade fired back. Naruto opened his mouth to respond but then snapped it shut when he realized he had no answer to that question. Sighing wearily, she sat back in her chair and said, "Now I have to find housing for four nut jobs."

"Make that five nut jobs!" Sai said brightly as he stood up.

"Huh?" Tsunade asked, looking towards Naruto for an answer. "Doesn't he have his own place?"

"It's a long story," Naruto said shrugging his shoulders. "Sai has been sleeping on my couch for about two weeks."

"My precious…" Karin sniffled as she held herself.

Tsunade cocked and eyebrow and pointed at her, "Do I even want to know?"

"Honestly," Naruto said rubbing the back of his head, "it's a longer story than this whole kitchen nightmare."

A groan escaped the buxom blonde as she sat back in her chair and rubbed her temples. She continued to do so until a cough from Renge caused her to look towards her elder and she saw her with that god forsaken reckless grin they all had.

"Jihibiki and I have been discussing it for awhile now, we think it's time for Naruto to receive his inheritance." Renge said.

"What inheritance?" Naruto asked looking over at the two.

"Didn't you ever wonder where your parents lived?" Jihibiki asked with a grin.

"To be honest…not really." Naruto said with a sheepish smile causing everyone to face palm.

"Well start wonderin' because we're taking ya there!" Renge snapped reaching over and slapping him upside the head.

Naruto scowled and rubbed the back of his head before he looked at Hinata and smiled. "Care to escort me to my new place, Hime?" Hinata blushed but gave a shy smile and nod.

"_Your_ place, nii-sama?" Karin asked putting her hands on her hips. "I think you mean to say _our_ new place."

Naruto blinked before he gave her a soft smile and nod. "You're right Karin; let's go see our new place." He then looked around at all of them, "All of us."

Tsunade closed her eyes and bowed her head, allowing a smirk so grace her lips before she you looked up and barked out, "Shizune, get in here!"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked poking her head through the door.

"Start locking up, we're heading out." Tsunade said as she reached into her desk and pulled out a black book. Flipping through a few pages she found her page and skimmed through it quickly before snapping it shut and putting it back. She then stood up and walked over to the portraits of the previous Hokages, stopping in front of Minato's.

"Yes Tsunade-sama." Shizune said with a resigned sigh. "I'll put all the papers you need to look through on your desk for the morning."

"You don't understand," Tsunade said as she suddenly grabbed the corner of Minato and swung him away to reveal a safe. "You're coming with us," she said and then spun the dial a few times until there was an audible click.

"O-Oh, okay." Shizune said surprised. "Let me put everything away and then we can lock-up."

Tsunade nodded and opened the safe, everyone leaning forward and trying to see what the contents might be. Inside the safe sat two objects. One was a scroll and the other a key. Tsunade looked at both before she reached in and grabbed the key. Shutting everything back up, the blonde turned around and looked at the rest of the group and smiled.

"Are we ready to go?" She asked.

"You bet!" Naruto said with a fist pump. "Where are we headed?"

The three elders just grinned.

* * *

><p>"You gotta be kidding me!" Naruto mumbled as he stood slouched over and mouth agape. Next to him, and equally shocked Karin, Hinata, and Neji stood by with the same expression.<p>

Before them stood a rusted wrought iron gate barely standing on its own under a rotted tori gate. Dead vines wrapped around both gates and on either side bordering the front of the property was a crumbling stone wall. Looking beyond the divide, Naruto gulped at the possibility of what kind of decrepit building he would have to most likely tear down and rebuild. He couldn't be sure until he got in there though since from the gate all he could see was a thick, over grown forest that somehow reminded him of the Forest of Death.

Naruto looked over at Tsunade and then loosely pointed towards the gate. "Are we even going to need a key?" He asked dejectedly.

"You'll want to use it if you don't want to get a nasty reality check." Renge said with a grin. "Tsunade-chan, give Naruto-kun the key. He needs to be the one who opens the gate."

Shrugging, Tsunade passed the key off to her fellow blonde and took a step back for good measures. If there was one thing she learned from this family, it was to not take anything for granted.

Naruto looked at the plain key for a moment before cocking an eyebrow and shrugging. He stepped up to the gate and forcefully pushed the key into the rusted lock, the old metal moaned and shuddered as the foreign metal invaded it and forced it to make way for its' long forgotten partner. With a tiny grunt of effort, Naruto turned the key and let out a yelp when he suddenly felt the chakra in his hand suddenly drain away and then surge back into his body. After the slight scare, the lock clicked and the group watched wide eyed as the scenery before them shimmered away and was replaced by a pristine four foot stone wall leading up to a red and blue tori gate with the Uzumaki symbol in the center. Further on, a glimpse could be seen of blue tiled roofing poking up into the sky just beyond the tree line.

"Well…" Naruto said after a moment of gaping. "That escalated quickly."

"That was frickin' awesome!" Karin said with a grin.

"How did that even happen?" Tsunade asked while shaking her head. "Genjutsu?"

"Yep!" Jihibiki said puffing out his chest and grinning widely. "One of the Uzumaki's finer accomplishments. A continuous genjutsu based seal which remains active by absorbing natural chakra."

"A-Amazing." Hinata said quietly.

"Just wait till you see the inside," Renge said with a toothy grin. Walking by she whispered into the Hyuuga's ear so only she could hear, "You'll love the bedroom," and gave her a wink and quick swat on the butt. Hinata went rigid and her eyes grew as a wave of crimson descended down her face and to her chest below.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked excitedly as he pushed open the gate and grabbed Hinata's hand. "Let's check out our new place!"

"_**Our**__…new…place?" _Hinata's eyes grew a fraction wider and then her body swayed back and forth. _"Bedroom…__**Our**__…bedroom…" _It was a miracle she didn't faint at the thought. Her heart jumped and beat faster. Her breath hitched and then picked up. Her head went light. But no darkness came. Instead, myriads of scenarios ran through her mind—each one becoming more intense than the last until she finally ended on one that had little Hinata quickly soaking the only fabric she had between her body and the outside world. _"I hope the door has strong hinges and the bed frame is sturdy…"_

A sensation pulsed down Hinata's back causing her to shudder in excitement. She hadn't exactly had time to explore her body more, like that day back at the hospital. Not to mention all the dreams she'd been having recently of her and Naruto actually going all the way. It was the first time she had had an orgasm and it had happened only once early on when the dreams first started. She'd woken up sweating, breathless, slightly blissful, and completely soaked—pajama bottoms and sheets—from her climax. Ever since then Hinata could feel her curiosity growing, wondering just what a real one would feel like. Needless to say she was wound tighter than a mattress spring supporting the Fire Lord's wife.

Being lead dumbly along by Naruto down the stone pathway, she was oblivious to the world around as well as the snickers coming from Renge who followed. But that was okay; she had more interesting things happening in her mind at the moment. Things that would require sound proofing seals and—

Hinata was abruptly thrown from her revelries when she crashed into Naruto's back. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she noticed the blonde was rooted to his spot and unresponsive. Idly noting she was still holding his hand which caused her blush to climb a little more, she came up to his side and looked at him questioningly.

"Naruto-kun, what's wrong?"

His mouth moved but no words came out. All he did was stare and finally he managed to loosely point ahead of him. Hinata turned and a gasp escaped her, the sight she saw leaving her just as awestruck as the blonde.

"I-It's…It's beautiful!" She finally managed to get out and Naruto nodded.

The stone pathway before them opened into a circular courtyard with a white marble three tiered fountain in the center. Past that was the house itself, but Hinata quickly realized it was most certainly a mansion. The building was three stories tall, with red wooden walls and blue rooftops. It was built in the traditional sense too with each floor having its own gently sloping roof made of blue clay tiles which extended out well past the walls and then curved back up at the corners making the perfect sheltered walkway around the house. However, Hinata noticed the third story was considerably smaller than the other two floors and was spaced much further away, easily twice the length in separation compared to the first and second floor. It was also open, making it look like nothing more than a watch tower with railings instead of walls.

Naruto's hand squeezing Hinata's brought her out of her trance and she looked over at him. His shoulders were shaking slightly and he was fighting back tears. Noticing that she was looking at him, he turned his head away.

"A-Are you okay Naruto-kun?" She asked softly.

Naruto nodded his head, still looking away. He cleared his voice but she could still hear the strain in it when he spoke. "I…I was just thinking that if things had gone differently the day I was born, I'd have grown up here. With mom and dad…"

Hinata stood there stunned for a moment before her heart felt a pang of sadness. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze causing Naruto to look at her, Hinata gave a soft smile and said, "I'm sorry things didn't turn out that way. But just think, some day you might be a father yourself and raising your own children here."

Naruto managed to choke out a chuckle and wiped his eyes with his spare arm. Looking back at her he squeezed her hand again and said with a grateful smile, "Thanks Hime. That means a lot."

Hinata blushed at her nickname and smiled, but went rigid and turned crimson when Jihibiki's voice reached the two as the rest of the group finally caught up.

"And I take it you'll be the one helping him with that task, eh Hinata-chan?"

Naruto's hand quickly let go of Hinata's, much to her disappointment, and sported a blush just as deep as hers.

"Dammit ero-jiji, leave Hinata alone!" Naruto shouted rounding on the elder.

The rest of the group burst into laughter with only Shizune shaking her head. Karin, Neji, and Sai then became silent as the marveled at the beauty of the estate and Tsunade lifted an eyebrow and let out a long appraising whistle. "Didn't realize Minato had such extravagant taste."

Renge shook her head and laughed. "No, this was all Kushina-chan's doing. If it was up to the blonde headed brat, they'd be living in a one bedroom bamboo shack."

"Somehow I'm not surprised…" Tsunade muttered before looking over at Naruto and grinning. "This is right up your alley isn't it? Big, obnoxious, and gaudy as hell."

"Why does everyone keep thinking I like gaudy things?" Naruto scowled as he folded his arms and looked at the place. He had to admit, the place did look amazing. But something about it seemed familiar, not necessarily the place itself but the aura about it. Squinting his eyes, a sudden glint caught his attention and he looked to the fountain in the center. There, at the top of the fountain, was a golden fox—head reared back as if it were howling into the sky and nine tails splayed out in a wild fashion.

"This wasn't mom's idea." Naruto murmured to himself and everyone looked at him strangely. Ignoring them, he took a step off the pathway and onto the stone courtyard. The moment his foot connected with the ground the fox sprang to life, shooting a glistening geyser up into the air before it returned down into the wells of the fountain. Just like the one in his mindscape. "Oh you've _got_ to be shitting me."

"What's going on nii-sama?" Karin asked in confusion.

"This most definitely wasn't my mom's idea." Naruto said in disbelief as he started walking forward.

As he did flower beds running along either side of the courtyard suddenly sprang up from the ground like Spring in fast-forward; the shoots quickly rising from the ground and blooming into beautiful shades of yellows, blues, and reds. And was that…singing?! There was a damn genjutsu of choir voices harmonizing as the beds bloomed! Naruto was going to be sick, and he knew just who to blame.

"This…This is too much." Naruto said as he suddenly hunched over with his hands on his knees while the rest of the group save Renge and Jihibiki looked on with a mixture of horror and fascination. "The gaudiness factor is just too damn high!"

Closing his eyes, Naruto concentrated for a moment. _"Kurama, you wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this would you?"_

Silence was Naruto's answer and his eyes opened into narrow slits.

"_Hey! I know you can hear me!"_

Snoring suddenly echoed through his mind. Terribly, terribly, imitated snoring.

"_Dammit Fuzz-ass, stop ignoring me!"_

"**I am not fuzzy! I'm furry!"** Kurama's voice suddenly boomed through his head.

"I don't give a damn what you are!" Naruto yelled out loud as he stood up and crossed his arms. "This is just ridiculous! How did you even sell mom on this bullshit?" After a pause he then added, "Better question, how did mom sell _dad_ on this bullshit?"

"**I can show you if you'd like?"** Kurama answered—a maniacal grin evident in his voice. A shiver ran down Naruto's spine.

"_Ya know, I think I'd rath—"_ Naruto started to say before his parents suddenly doing something he thought was only possible in one of Jiraiya's books flashed before his eyes.

Naruto went rigid and the group watched on in mild entertainment as he slowly turned to them with a mortified expression upon his face.

"Baa-chan," He asked quietly. "It there a seal that can erase memories?"

"Hmm," Renge said as she put a finger to her chin. "No, but there is one for sealing them. Why?"

"Because I just saw my parents re-enacting a scene from Ero-sennin's Icha Icha Black Label series."

There was moment of silence before everyone erupted into laughter, so completely distracted by Naruto's confession they missed Hinata letting out a soft gasp and blushing a guilty red while whispering, "Oh my…"

"S-Sorry Naruto but you can live with it." Jihibiki said through tears.

"Y-Yeah," Renge said between gasps. "Consider it a rite of passage."

"I don't want this passage!" Naruto said with tears of his own as he waved his hands frantically.

"Deal with it brat!" Tsunade shouted while holding her sides in pain. "Everyone sees their parents doing it at least once in their lives."

"It's true," Neji said while he tried, and failed, to cover up his laugh by coughing into his hand.

"Terrible people. All of you." Naruto said turning around and folding his arms.

"Oh we're just teasing nii-sama." Karin said shooting Neji a quick frigid glare to make him quit and then ran over to the blonde to comfort him. "It's all in good fun."

"Exactly what Karin said," Sai voiced reassuringly. Naruto was about to smile when Sai added, "It's a joke not a dick; don't take it so hard…unlike your mom." Sai then gave victorious smile. "I believe that is what you call a burn!"

Naruto looked up at his pale brother with a horrified expression. Silence reigned yet again as everyone registered what the artist nin had just uttered. And then they all fell to the ground—Karin, Tsunade, _even_ Hinata couldn't support herself as wave after wave of gut wrenching laughter roared from the group. It was so bad Tsunade at one point considered calling her emergency Anbu guard to save her because she thought she would die from lack of oxygen. However, the sudden burst of icy cold killing intent sobered everyone up quickly.

"I'll kill ya!" Naruto shouted as he held up his hands, his fingers twitching sporadically. "I'll kill ya, ya pasty bastard!"

Before anyone could move Naruto had tackled Sai to the ground and wrestled the now suddenly terrified Sai.

"Don't take it so hard? We'll see who's takin' it hard!" Naruto cried out, a crazed gleam in his eyes. Pulling out one of Sai's brushes from his pack he grinned maniacally. "We'll see who's laughin' when they got a brush shoved up their ass!"

"S-Stop! W-What are ya tryin' ta do?!" Sai shrieked in terror, and the brief out of character display allowed a moment of pride to swell in all of the present Uzumakis. But the moment quickly passed.

"Uzumaki rite of passage," Naruto answered his horrified counterpart. "Ya wanna be an Uzumaki don't cha?"

"Not like this!" Sai screamed as he fought tooth and nail to keep his pants on. "I'm not yer mom, I don't like wood!"

The group, who had been watching the hilarity unfold, decided enough was enough and stepped in to save Sai from the imminent sodomizing that was about to occur.

"Geeze you just don't know when to stop, do you?" Tsunade said with a sigh as she grabbed Naruto by the collar and pulled him up.

"Let me go!" Naruto said struggling against the iron grip. "Must…seek…vengeance!"

"N-Naruto-kun that's enough!" Hinata said as forcefully as she could. Stepping in front of him and putting her hands on her hips she said, "We've all had to see our parents having s-s-sex, even m-me, so get over it."

Naruto immediately stopped and looked down like a defeated puppy. Seeing that he was finally calm, Tsunade set him down and then pointed to Renge and whispered, "You teach her that?"

"Nope, that's all her." Renge said cracking a grin. "Girl's got some fire ain't she?"

"They're all mean." Naruto mumbled turning away from the group. "Everyone…Baa-chan…Sai…Even Hinata-chan."

"S-Stop acting like th-this Naruto-kun, its n-not like you." Hinata said as she walked over and, with great effort, wrapped him up in a hug. Naruto's attitude did an immediate one-eighty and he happily returned the hug causing Hinata blush hard. "B-Beside," Hinata said as she broke away and started to tug him towards the house. "I-I-I w-want t-t-to see the h-h-house!"

Naruto laughed at Hinata's eagerness to see what the inside looked like and allowed himself to be pulled along in an unusual reverse of roles. What he didn't know was Hinata was only doing so to hide the scarlet burn which reached from the top of her head down to her chest as she chanted one word over and over again in her head.

"_Bedroom! Bedroom! Bedroom!"_


	35. Whirlpool

**A/N:** **So here I am…back waaay later than what I intended…not that surprising huh? Yeah, didn't think so. Ahem! Due to unforeseen circumstances, my time spent on this story was temporarily…distracted…until recently because it is apparently illegal in the State of Ohio to have fun on the 4****th**** of July. I can now, however, declare on my resume that I am a master boat builder and—in my opinion—a pirate in the eyes of the State of Ohio. But I digress, the point is the chapter is up now and its…okay I guess. Feelin' a little "meh" on it and waaaay more interested in the next chapter *grins maniacally* which should be out in a few days (serious this time, half of it is already done!)**

**The results are in folks and as expected Frankenslime was a huge success! Can't tell you how many times my family looked at me strangely when I burst into laughter after reading a line. Also, you all seem to enjoy the pervy Hinata which I admit is fun to write as well. You guys get a bit more of that this chappie!**

**Last** **Time: **While Hinata, Tenten, and Karin bond over a shopping excursion and gossip over the important things in life something far more morbid was happening at the Uzumaki residence. Naruto, Jihibiki, Renge, Neji, and the mad scientist Sai battle the impure monster known only as Frankenslime. Using a wide variety of ninjutsu, fuinjutus, and flailing, the group was finally able to defeat the hideous beast...but at a cost. The living room couch was forced to sacrifice its life in the line of duty, dealing a devastating blow to both Sai and Karin. With the apartment nothing more than a burning pile of rubble, Tsunade decided it was finally time for Naruto to receive his inheritance and the group made their way to his parents home/mansion. The group now finds themselves in the midst of a very colorful and informative tour.

**Chapter 34: Whirlpool**

Naruto had officially decided it. If the outside of the house was amazing then the inside was unreal.

After much insistence from Hinata they explore the inside, Naruto opened the front door and the group proceeded to look around in awe. Apart from being absolutely spotless, Naruto was shocked to find the entire first floor completely open. To the back of the house was a large kitchen with polished black granite countertops and a matching island bar. Coming out from that and taking up the left side of the room was a large dark mahogany table which could seat at least ten people as well as a matching buffet against the wall. On the right side of the room the floor dropped down two steps into a spacious pitted living room complete with a large couch, which Karin and Sai both noticed immediately, love seat, large coffee table, and a massive big screen TV on the wall.

Naruto also realized that each section had a different colored wall. The living room was red, the dining room was orange, and the kitchen was a faint yellow. It was weird but at the same time seemed to flow. And in the center of the open room was a massive, beautifully hand carved yew staircase leading up to the second floor.

"Well I wasn't expecting this kind of layout," Naruto said slowly taking it all in.

"Don't like the open floor plan?" Renge asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Just figured there'd be more, I dunno…" Naruto gave a shrug, "walls."

Jihibiki walked to the left of the door and put his hand on the wall. "Ya mean like this?"

A low flash enveloped the entire left side of the house and when Naruto looked again his eyes nearly bugged out of his head. A traditional paper wall now blocked his view of the dining room and the left half of the kitchen, save for a single doorway leading to the designated eating room.

"A-Amazing." Hinata breathed out.

"The entire floor is like this," Renge said as she went to the right and touched a section of the wall. The same thing happened on the right side and the group suddenly found themselves standing in a hallway with two doorways leading to the either room and a staircase at the end.

"This is simply ingenious." Neji said with an appreciative smile.

"Whose idea was this?" Karin asked, turning to Renge.

"It's actually standard when it comes to Uzumaki households." The elderly red head said touching the wall again and this time the last half of the wall disappeared. "How it never caught on here is beyond me, it makes preparations for guests and parties _so_ much easier."

Walking over to Jihibiki, Naruto inspected the area where he'd activated the wall and found a small sealing kanji with the trademark Uzumaki swirl in the center. Placing his finger on it, Naruto pushed chakra through it and watched as the entire wall disappeared, leaving that half of the floor open once again. Naruto couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, "This is pretty cool!"

"It's not just the walls either." Jihibiki said as he motioned for everyone to follow. Placing his hand on the table, Jihibiki made it disappear in a puff of smoke. Flipping through three seals he then stomped his foot and the table reappeared. "Everything in this house that isn't directly attached to the walls or floor is capable of being sealed away for more space."

Noticing Karin and Sai's furtive glancing, Naruto let out a chuckle and said, "Well go ahead guys, we might as well split up and explore a little."

His chuckle turned into full blown laughter when his two surrogate siblings both darted for the couch, even going as far as to having a mock slapping spar on the way there to see who could claim the right for the first sit. Naturally, Karin won.

Karin: 3, Sai: 1

As Neji and Renge went to go join the two who were checking out the living room, Jihibiki shuffled over to Naruto and whispered with a conspiratorial smirk, "Up the stairs, the double doors straight ahead."

"Huh?" Naruto asked, his face contorting in utter confusion as he turned to his grandfather.

Getting a subtle nod from Jihibiki to the person standing behind him, Naruto quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw Hinata shifting from one foot to the other as if she were waiting impatiently for something. Her lavender eyes darted around the room and she wore a soft blush as she fidgeted with her hands. Turning back to his grandfather, Naruto saw Jihibiki giving him a knowing grin that somehow appeared serious at the same time.

"There's only one room in this house that girl is interested in seeing." Jihibiki said quietly and discreetly pointed towards the stairs. "And that room is the one I just told ya to go look at." He gave a wink and gentle pushed him in the direction of the heiress, "Go on, I'll keep the others busy."

Confused out of his mind by the old man's sudden strange behavior, Naruto shuffled over to Hinata and offered his arm to her.

"Would you like to check out the upstairs, Hime?" He asked with a smile.

Hinata's face darkened considerably and she clung to his arm as if it were a lifeline. Not trusting her voice, she nodded vigorously and kept her eyes glued to the floor as they made their way silently to the stairs and ascended them—the entire time struggling to maintain her grip on the conscious world as her thoughts rapidly flowed from PG to X rated. It took everything she had to keep her nose from bleeding as she secretly felt the blonde's bulging bicep that her fingers were so eagerly determined to explore.

Coming to a stop, Hinata realized they were standing in front of a huge set of thick double doors. Glancing to the side, she noticed that the entire second floor was open as well with four doors not including the pair they were standing in front of—along with the staircase continuing on to a third floor. The wall on the front of the house actually didn't exist, instead replaced with a massive window which allowed in copious amounts of natural lighting. There also appeared to be two arm chairs and a coffee table in front of the window making it look like lounge area, and the walls in that area were lined with bookshelves. Making a quick mental note as a potential place to curl up with a good book, Hinata turned her attention back to the doors which Naruto was now opening.

Turning the latches at the same time, Naruto gave a small grunt of effort and pushed the heavy doors open. Swinging silently on their hinges, the doors parted to reveal the entire back end of the second floor was actually the master bedroom.

Naruto gaped as his eyes roamed over the room. The entirety of it was covered in a navy blue plush carpet; something he happily noted would keep his feet warm in the winter. The walls were a deep red giving the room a dark, cozy, intimate atmosphere even though the far end of the room opened up to a giant balcony overlooking the back of the estate. To the left was a massive stone fireplace, above which the Uzumaki and Namikaze emblems were carved into the stone. But the most impressive feature was the right side of the room.

There, against the wall, was a king size four poster bed—complete with a navy blue comforter, yellow pillows, and a yellow sheer canopy as well.

Naruto nearly burst into tears at the beauty he was beholding. Never in his life would he have ever dreamed of owning a king sized bed, and now he had his very own. The colors would certainly have to change but until he had a chance to redecorate he'd survive—comfortably at that. It was during this thought something clicked, and a realization dawned on Naruto.

"_That perverted old bastard! When I get my hands on him…"_ His thoughts trailed off as his scowl was quickly replaced with a crimson blush. _"W-Wait a minute. Does she r-really want t-to see this room?!"_

Chancing a peek, Naruto glanced to the side and nearly passed out from blood loss. Standing next to him and panting slightly, a blushing Hinata stood next to him with her eyes transfixed on the bed while holding a finger up to her lips.

Hinata was doing her best to control her emotions, she really was. But her heart just wouldn't calm down. Her face was burning up. And for some reason she just couldn't seem to get enough air into her lungs. Not to mention the fire burning in her stomach, a desire begging for release she knew the man standing next to her was only capable of giving her.

Suppressing a shudder of excitement that ran down her spine, Hinata rubbed her legs together in an attempt to repress the lust she building up rapidly. "Th-This is quiet the bedroom isn't it," she said walking into the room. She feigned interest by looking around the room but kept her feet moving towards the bed. "I've never seen anything like it b-before."

"Y-Yeah." Naruto said with a nod. He let out a chuckle and nervously rubbed the back of his head. "The room is sweet but the colors are definitely gonna have to change."

Naruto followed behind Hinata and suddenly he found himself in an internal struggle: his eyes drawn to Hinata's perfectly formed butt accented by the ninja pants that seemed to strain against it, while his will demanded he look away. Needless to say his will was deteriorating...quickly.

"_DAMMIT, WHY CAN'T I LOOK AWAY?!"_ Naruto thought as his head seemed to bob with every step the heiress took.

"**You think that's bad?"** Kurama asked with a grin. **"Give it a second."**

Naruto was about to ask what he meant when he suddenly felt a trace of the demon's chakra surge out of the seal. He felt the warm chakra slowly work its way through his system until it finally settled in his nose. He then abruptly found himself floored with the most tantalizing scent he'd ever inhaled. Distinct, almost musky, and the slightest hint of sweat but not putrid, Naruto's eyes glazed over and his body went into an autopilot overdrive as he moved without thought. His own breathing quickened and he could feel his face flushing while in the pit of his stomach a fire ignited into a roaring inferno. Taking another deep breath, he could practically see the trail of the odorant making its way across the room to Hinata. However, his mind froze when he realized just where the smell was coming from.

"_I-Is that coming from w-where I think it is?!"_ Naruto shouted at Kurama while he averted his gaze from the Hyuuga heiress' round and now extremely succulent ass.

"**A little slow on the uptake aren't we?"** Kurama chided evilly. **"You realize she's always smelled like that when she is around you for long periods of time."**

"_Then why didn't I ever notice before?"_ Naruto said fighting a losing battle to keep his pants at a comfortable pressure. _"I'd say that's a pretty distinct fucking smell!"_

"**Covered it up with perfumes? She doesn't naturally smell like lavender and vanilla you know."**

"_Wise ass."_

"**Inexperienced monkey."**

"_Catty bitch."_

"**You wanna fucking go?!"**

"Let's do it! You and me, right now, no holding back!" Naruto shouted while raising a finger up. And suddenly the rest of the world came rushing back when he heard Hinata gasp and saw her staring at him with blush the color of a tomato. "Err…"

"N-Naruto-kun th-th-this is s-so s-s-sud-den!" Hinata said leaning against one of the posts of the bed desperately for support. Her hands wouldn't stop fidgeting as one hand tried to pull her jacket down further while the other seemed to be pulling at the collar in an attempt to get more air. The only thing she succeeded in doing was make her heaving cleavage stick out. "I-I m-m-mean we h-haven't even k-kissed y-y-yet. I d-d-didn't even kno-ow you f-felt tha-t way!"

Not that she hadn't been fantasizing about it ever since she stepped foot into the room. She had spied four black rings drilled into the posts of the bed and she had a slight inkling as to what they were intended for, causing her hips to quiver in even more excitement. Excitement that was not needed since she was more than positive she needed a new pair of underwear.

Naruto's eyes bulged out of his head at Hinata's implications. "I-I…well th-that is…um…" Naruto struggled to find the words, the entire time Kurama laughing his ass off and taunting him.

"**Who's got two thumbs and folds like a lawn chair? This guy!"**

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked when she saw Naruto's face flush even more.

"…F-Fox…" Naruto stammered out.

"_Fox?"_ Hinata wondered. _"That doesn't make any sense at all…Wait! What if th-th-that's some kind of e-exotic p-p-position!"_

Hinata's world began to spin and she her feet failed her. Sliding off the post, she fell backwards onto the bed with a mix between a moan and a gasp.

"H-Hinata!" Naruto said quickly closing the distance. "A-Are you okay?"

Hinata's world slowly came back into focus and she found a pair of cerulean eyes scrutinizing her with worry. It made a warmth spread through her chest she knew only he could cause because of the concern he always had for her. The way those eyes sparkled just for her when he turned them in her direction. God how she wanted those eyes to stay on her forever!

"H-Hinata-chan, are you o-okay?" Naruto asked again while bringing a hand up and gingerly touching her cheek with the back of it.

A soft smile spread across her pale rosy cheeks as her own hand came up and gently touched his cheek. "Keep looking at me like that and I will be," she whispered through half lidded eyes.

"Hinata…" Naruto said as his own eyes began to close. He could feel her hand practically dragging him down to meet her lips despite the light touch

"Move over!"

"Don't push!"

"I can't see!"

"Too bad, I'm the one taking the picture!"

"If ya don't shut up we'll get—" The latch to the door clicked open as someone leaned on it and with a collective cry the rest of the visiting party fell into the room with a loud crash. At the same time three different flashes went off from the cameras Jihibiki, Sai, and Tsunade were holding.

"Caught…" Jihibiki said with a sheepish smile.

Naruto's eyes narrowed. His mouth became a taunt, narrow line. His eyebrow twitched uncontrollably. He opened his mouth to unleash hell but instead he was thrown to the side as Hinata sat up rigid with a look of unholy rage on her face.

"What the _**HELL **_does someone have to do to get some _**GOD DAMN **_privacy from you people?!" She all but screamed before she took notice of the photography equipment. "Are those cameras? Where the hell did you get those from?!"

Everyone blinked once together in shock before Renge said, "Ah…"

"GET OUT!" Hinata bellowed as a wall of shuriken and kunai appeared in thin air and quickly went sailing towards the group of peepers.

The group let out a yelp and leapt back out the door while slamming the door closed behind them. Not a moment too soon either as the sound of about twenty sharp objects thudded into the thick door.

"Well that was…terrifying." Tsunade said with a snicker as she dusted herself off.

"Where did she get all of those weapons from?" Neji asked look at the door in shock. He had never seen his cousin explode like that before and quite frankly, it scared him.

"I think the better question is where was she keeping them?" Jihibiki asked. A second later a dopy grin spread across his face and he giggled. It lasted for a second before a staff smashed into his head and sent him careening down the staircase.

"Pervert," Renge said as she resealed her staff and dusted her hands.

"Says the person who just tried to watch their grandson get it on," Karin said dryly.

Back in the bedroom, Hinata was boring a hole in the double doors with her glare. "Honestly," she muttered, "I can't tell if they're trying to get us together or tear us apart!"

"Huh?" Naruto asked, dazed from his spot on the floor

"Nothing," she reached down and yanked him to his feet and started dragging him towards the door. "Let's go catch up with them before they do anything else uncouth."

* * *

><p>The rest of tour went on without anything else antagonistic happening. The group finished their ascent and went up to the third floor, which was nothing more than a roofed tower and instead of walls there were guardrails. It did, however, give a beautiful view of the entire estate grounds as well as the village. And since the estate was located on the same cliff as the Hokage Monument only off to the side to ensure privacy from the constant foot traffic, they could see the faces as well. Heading back down to ground level and continuing out the back of the house quickly had all of the girls screaming in excitement and Naruto whooping for joy.<p>

The roofed walkway that wrapped around the entirety of the house gave way to a large deck with a built in hot spring off to the right and a mini bar to the left. Further on out was a combined dojo and meditation temple and training grounds as well.

"This is all so amazing." Naruto said as he took the scenery in.

"It's breathing taking and beautiful," Karin said with the biggest smile and tears in her eyes. She was so happy to finally have a home!

"It is indeed impressive," Sai said with a nod, "but where is that running water coming from that I hear?"

"You mean the hot springs?" Neji asked pointing to said water.

"No, I hear it too." Naruto said straining his ears. "It's out there further, beyond the forest."

The weathered Uzumakis looked at each other and both let out a sigh. Renge then turned to Naruto and said, "That is our last stop, follow us."

"Please keep your voices down as well," Jihibiki said solemnly. The tone had the desired effect as the group quickly calmed down and followed obediently behind the two.

Walking to the back of the estate where the thick forest began, they followed a narrow stone path that twisted and turned for about a hundred meters. With every step the group took the sound of rushing water became louder until finally they broke through the tree line and came to another clearing. Everyone save for Renge and Jibibiki let out a soft gasp at what they saw.

In the center of the clearing was a three story pagoda, the bottom floor free of walls and extending out over a giant pond. It was red and blue, just like the house and once again beautifully crafted—but that wasn't what drew the surprise and awe from the group. It was the pond itself. Or rather, what was in the pond since it wasn't really a pond at all—but a giant, fast moving whirlpool and at the center of it was a small island with a polished black marble stone much like the Hero's Monument.

"What is this place?" Naruto asked quietly.

As they continued to move down to the pagoda, Jihibiki answered, "This is the final resting place for all our Uzumaki kinsmen."

The group continued quietly down to the open temple, entered, and walked out over the water to the back handrail. Once they reach there, Jihibiki made six hand seals and pressed his hand to the rail. To everyone's surprise, there was an audible click and a section of the railing swung away like a gate allowing access to the swirling whirlpool which was only a step below.

"This is the only point in which you may access the shrine." Jihibiki said, his voice sounded heavy and the memories of grief showed on his face. "If you tried to get to the monument any other way the Shinigami would be dragging you to hell before you were knew you were dead."

"The Hokage is required to have knowledge of at least 1,001 jutsus." Renge said as she stepped up to the open gate and looked over at the group. "This monument protected by that many seals."

The old red head left the safety of the floor and stepped out onto the raging waters, earning a cry of despair from the entire group. However, upon seeing her not being swept away Naruto realized the water had calmed to a beautiful, mirrored still and perfectly rounded, flat, black stepping stones had risen out of the water leading to the island.

"I'm sorry but from here on only members of the Uzumaki may continue." Jihibiki said giving Hinata and Sai an apologetic look.

"W-We understand." Hinata said with an understanding smile, yet the hint of underlying concern was evident.

"We'll be right back," Karin said to Neji and with that she and Naruto followed Jihibiki and Renge out to the small island.

It was a little cramped on the island as they crowded around the black stone. The monument was just a little shorter than Naruto and came to a blunt point at the top, allowing him to see an Uzumaki seal swirling up to the top. Naruto was a little confused by this and even more so by the unblemished surface of the stone. He figured if it was like the Hero's Monument then names would be carved into it. Yet here the stone sat, untouched, with only a seal on the top.

"Expecting a bit more?" Jihibiki asked as his eyes seemed to dance with knowledge only he possessed.

"A little bit, yeah." Naruto conceded.

His grandfather smirked and gently placed his hand upon the surface of the stone. "Warring States Era," he intoned.

Naruto and Karin watched wide eyed as hundreds of names began to appear in red over every inch of the stone as if the kanji were be written then and there. Not a single space was left blank, save for the middle where a line was drawn dawn the center dividing the names into two columns.

Renge saw their confusion and answered, "The left side represents the line of Uzumaki who ruled as the Uzukages, fought under them, or lived in the village while the right represents the royal line that ruled the Land of Whirlpools or served under the Daimyo." Reaching out she did the same as her husband and said, "Founding Era."

The names disappeared and new ones took their place, only with two distinct differences. The first was the number of names that appeared which were only a few hundred. The second was the names appeared in white kanji this time.

"Each color represents a time period in our history," Renge explained. "White for the Founding Era, red for the Warring States Era, green for the Prospering Era, purple for the Nomad Era, and black for…"

"Fall of Uzushiogakure…" Jihibiki said quietly and touched the monument one last time.

Karin gasped and felt tears form as she watched name after countless name carve its' way into the stone. They were written significantly smaller so they could fit the thousands of names that appeared. Names even appeared on the sides and back of the monument as well; a testament to just how many lost their lives during the eradication of the clan.

"This era is the only one that can't be fit on the front of the monument." Jihibiki said as his face hardened. His fists balled up and clenched together in anger as he glared at the names on the cold surface before him. "Men, women, children…all murdered because of an irrational fear. All because _they_ couldn't understand. Because _they_ were too greedy."

Renge moved to her husband and wrapped him in a loving hug—the old man burying his face in her neck as he tried his best to repress the pain and sobs. She glanced over at Naruto and Karin and saw that the blonde was hugging the red head and comforting her as well. They may not have been there when the city burned, but the heavy presence that filled the atmosphere could be felt and understood by the younger generation.

"You asked me when we first met, Naruto, why it took us so long to come and find you," Renge said softly drawing his attention. "It's because we'd been collecting the remains of all our fallen clansmen both in Uzu and abroad—as well as tracking down the remainders of the clan that were scattered. I know it might not seem fair to neglect the living to tend to the dead, but death in our clan is steeped in tradition. We razed entire villages to the ground to retrieve our fallen kinsmen's bodies during the Warring States Era." Looking back at the stone she said softly, "Scattered to the tides we may be, but in death we shall be as one."

"I understand," Naruto said looking down at Karin and giving her a reassuring but sad smile. "I'm not exactly happy with that reasoning, but I understand."

The two of them had gone through hell after all because their grandparents were busy tending the dead. They could have found them, taken them along and learned from the elders while helping, but it was in the past now and they were finally all together. And in Naruto's opinion, that's what was most important.

"About the remaining members," Naruto said, leaving the question open.

Renge shook her head and looked down. Jihbiki finally gained some semblance of control over his emotions and straightened up, wiping his eyes and clearing his throat before saying, "We scoured the entirety of the elemental nations and by the end of it, there were only three left remaining—two of which were you."

"Who's the third?" Karin asked.

"Naruto knew him," Renge said with a sad smile. "In fact, he's the whole reason Naruto is hailed as a hero now."

"Nagato," Naruto breathed out with a sigh.

"You don't seem too surprised, you knew?" Jihibiki asked.

"I had a suspicion we may have been related."

"You were—he was a grandson of my brother's." Jihibiki said with a nod

"What about me?" Karin asked. "I'm I related to anyone other than being an Uzumaki?"

Renge smiled happily at her. "You're related to both Naruto and I dear. You are my precious baby sister's granddaughter."

"Who was your sister?" Naruto asked.

Renge shifted uncomfortably at the question and him-hawed around on the question before finally saying, "Uzumaki Mito."

Karin perked up at the name, it sounded familiar to her for some reason but she couldn't quite place it. She glanced over at Naruto to see if he recognized the name and found him pinching his nose while taking multiple deep breaths. After a moment, he spun on his heels and started making his way back across the pond.

"N-Nii-sama?" Karin asked, confused by his reaction. "Do you know it she is?"

"Yes," the blonde said evenly.

Looking at the elders questioningly, Karin then turned and quickly followed after Naruto.

Renge then looked at Jihibiki and sighed, "This is going to suck."

"Which part?" Jihibiki asked with a grin. "Having to explain why we're still alive or having to be reminded of just how old we really are."

Renge shot him a withering glare and followed briskly after her grandson and grandniece leaving her husband by himself. Chuckling once, he looked at the stone with a rueful smile and then turned and followed.

When Naruto reached the pagoda again he was met with the anticipated looks of the remainder of the group. However, upon seeing his face they parted way and allowed him to continue his trek back the way they came. Sensing something was wrong, Hinata quickly hurried after him.

"Naruto-kun, is everything okay?" She asked.

"Not here," was all he said as he continued to walk. Hinata stopped in her tracks and stared at him as he continued his even pacing back up the stone path.

Moments later Karin appeared next her and quickly followed after him. "Naruto-nii, who was she?" She asked trying to keep her voice from sounding too much like a whine.

"What is going on?" Tsunade asked as the rest of the group brought up the rear.

"Eh, you'll find out soon enough." Renge said with a sigh as she walked past them with her husband in tow.

Naruto was silent the rest of the way back to the house, and when the group finally broke through the tree line again they found him waiting with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. The group came to a stop before him and suddenly everyone found themselves feeling like a child waiting to be scolded by an angry parent.

He said nothing until Renge finally sighed in submission and said, "Ask the question."

"HOW THE_FUCK_ ARE YOU TWO STILL ALIVE?!" Naruto exploded, waving his hands in the air. "Seriously?! Your sister? She was married to the First Hokage!"

"What?" Everyone shouted at the same time looking at Renge in shock.

"I mean, Baa-chan is already old as hell!" Naruto said.

"Why you little…" Tsunade muttered as her eyebrow began to twitch.

"But you two," he then gestured to his relatives, "you two should be nothing but dust and bones! Just how old are you?!"

"148 and Jihibiki is 152." Renge said with a sigh. The group stared at the elderly Uzumaki in shock and even Naruto found himself unable to say anything.

"Yes but you don't look a day over 125, dear." Jihibiki said with a chuckle and patted his wife on the back.

"Asshole," she gruffed as she swatted his hand away. She then turned to Tsunade, "Don't act so surprised brat! We were in the village long enough to check on Kushina-chan and for me to train Hiashi-kun. Surely you had an idea of how old we were!"

"I thought you were Sarutobi-sensei's age." Tsunade said shaking her head. "If you're grandma's sister, then that makes us related as well."

"Renge-sensei?" Hinata asked getting her attention. "Does this mean that Naruto-kun and Karin-chan will live as long as you?"

"No dear," Jihibiki answered. "Renge and my longevity are attributed to more…convoluted circumstances."

"And those would be?" Karin asked.

He glanced at Renge who shook her head. "Sorry sweetie, but not only is it a closely guarded clan secret—but its' also something that we don't feel comfortable talking about…" His demeanor dimmed somewhat, "Even after all these years."

"Well that's a relief," Naruto said quickly with a sigh, breaking the uncomfortable tension. If they didn't feel like they were ready to tell then he wouldn't pry…yet. "There's no way in hell I want to live that long! Can you imagine all the problems you'd have at that age?"

The group burst into laughter while Jihibiki just grinned. "I don't know…it's rather enjoyable being able to meet your descendants so far down the line."

"I have to agree with him," Renge said with a proud grin. "I'm so happy I finally got to meet both Kushina and Mito's legacies."

Naruto and Karin both smiled at the elders before the latter's face scrunched up. She looked at Naruto and then back at the old couple. "Speaking of legacies," she said cocking her eyebrow, "why is Naruto-niisama just now learning about his inheritance? Shouldn't he have gained this sooner since his parents left it to him?"

"Yes and no," Tsunade said stepping forward. "Let's go grab a seat and I'll explain."

The group headed back to the house and after unsealing some deck furniture, much to Naruto's excitement, Tsunade raided the cabinets of the bar until she found some cups and sake. After everyone had a drink and was situated, Tsunade got comfortable and began.

"By law, Naruto should've received the rights to this estate when he made genin." Tsunade said. "However, due to who his parents were his identity as well as his inheritance were withheld until he was deemed strong enough to face all possible threats."

"My identity I can understand," Naruto said sitting back and folding his arms, "but this is just a house and land. Why keep that from me?"

"One of the first things I reviewed when I came back to the village was a proposal Sarutobi-sensei had written and was planning to approve of involving you." Tsunade said. "In it, he was planning on turning the estate as well as all of your parents properties over to you after you completed the chuunin exams—pass or fail…I immediately rejected it."

"Why?" Karin asked.

"Think about dear," Renge explained, "the property and house are riddled with security seals as well as variety of others. Not to mention the seals in the library archives and vault. Naruto-kun had no previous knowledge of seals and would've more than likely hurt or even killed himself upon exploring the house."

"Exactly," Tsunade said with a nod. "I remembered how dangerous seals could be from grandpa and grandma, so until I could find someone to train you a little on them you would have to go without your due inheritance."

"And I take it that's where ero-sennin came in?" Naruto guessed while taking a sip of his sake.

"Yep, one of his jobs while you two were away was to teach you in fuinjutsu." Tsunade nodded. "However, things quickly spiraled out of control when you two returned which left me with no time to properly give it to you."

Naruto folded his arms again and slight frown appeared. He wasn't exactly buying what his adoptive mother was saying, but the more he thought about it the more he realized she was right. As soon as he got back there was the Suna incident with Gaara. Then right afterwards was the Sasuke retrieval attempt followed by his elemental training in wind chakra. And right after that there was his sage training before ultimately ending with the Pain invasion.

Nodding his head in concession he said, "I don't like it, but it's understandable and true. We were both stretched thin for time."

"So now what?" Hinata asked, looking at the group. "N-Naruto-kun knows about his parents, his past, and has finally received his inheritance."

"We'll start his training in the expert level fuinjutsu next," Jihibiki said. Taking a swig of his sake he then added, "But for now there's only one thing to do."

"And what is that?" Neji asked a slight hint of concern in his voice.

Jihibiki and Renge looked at each other and grinned before they both shouted out at the same time, "Party!"

"W-What?" Hinata asked and instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.

"You heard us!" Renge said grinning ear to ear. "We didn't spend the past two weeks cleaning this baby up for it to just sit here! We're gonna christen this place the proper, Uzumaki, way!" She then turned to Naruto, "And we've got one more surprise for you, so make some clones and have them tell all of your friends to be here at 5—I have a feeling you'll want them all here for this."

Naruto nodded and quickly made ten clones to go deliver the messages throughout the village. Turning his attention back to the group he grinned, clapped his hands together once, and rubbed them. "Well, shall we get ready?"

**DARN! Another NaruHina moment _destroyed_! Why?! Why do you torment us so Retribution?! ****Because I feed on your misery dear readers! Mwahahaha!  
>Stay tuned, I think you'll be more than pleased with the payoff for those two :)<br>**


	36. A New Addition and a New HQ

**A/N: So it admittedly took longer to get this out than what I originally intended. This sort of just took off on me and by the time I realized what was happening it was waaay to long to be just one chapter. So, I split it in half. Therefore the next chapter is already halfway done so do a happy dance!**

**Dksamuri: **Sorry for the confusion but I meant the Gaara's kidnapping and Sasuke's attempted retrieval after his fight with Itachi.

**Chewie Cookies: **Hope I didn't hit the feelz too hard! And yes, the hint was Minato and Kushina had a less than normal…private life ;)

**Serious Sam: **Just because you said that, I'm now taking it as a personal challenge to incorporate those items somehow ;)

**Hektols: **I do agree that Jihibiki and Renge's reasoning for not being there are bullshit. But that's what I was shooting for. I wanted them to seem fallible and more human, and sometimes we, as humans, do stupid shit that's not really justifiable. As for Naruto's inheritance…the idea behind that was the house is so leavened with seals it would be impossible for Naruto to live there at a young age without a seal master there to constantly babysit him. And since Jiraiya was out of the village for his spy network it just wasn't possible.

**Chapter 35: A New Addition and a New HQ**

The groups had started trickling in at 5. Choji, Shikamaru, and Shino being the first to arrive and were escorting their respective dates to tomorrow's festival—Ino, Temari, and Tamamushi.

The fellow Aburame member wasn't what Naruto was expecting to say in the least. The girl had shoulder length black hair done in a braid and electric green eyes which were mesmerizing to stare at. But that wasn't the most surprising nor distinctive feature about her. No, if anything it was the fact that the girl didn't bundle herself up in clothes like Shino and the rest of their clansmen. Instead, she wore an olive green battle dress with the sides cut out and black spandex pants. Not to mention her shockingly outgoing, bubbly personality. Needless to say it threw Naruto through a loop.

"Don't worry," Shikamaru had muttered as he walked by, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it too."

Right after them was Sai with Samui, who was blown away by the estate and rather nervous about being seen with her escort at a private party. After those two was Kiba and Hinata, who had gone home to "freshen up" and invite her father and Hanabi to visit as well, along with the Konohamaru Corps. The Hyuuga heiress had decided to slip into a soft lavender silk kimono with light pink bordering and a pair of matching lavender pants. It took Naruto nearly a minute to stop gaping at her before Hiashi forcefully pushed him to the side to allow the group into his house, snickering the entire time while Hinata blushed from his reaction.

Lee and Tenten were the last to arrive, by which time the food had been cooked and everyone was out on the deck eating, drinking, and laughing at each other's stories. Even Samui had managed to loosen up and was sporting a light blush from the sake Renge had been feeding the girls. So when three familiar presences arrived at the estate and rang the door bell, Naruto was confused and slightly on edge.

Opening the front door he was greeted by three people he'd never seen before. The one on the left was skinny, had short spiky black hair, and sported a soul patch on his chin. The man in the middle was the same height with brown hair pulled in a pony tail and was slightly stockier. The last one, however, was a few inches shorter than both of them with short, spiky, brown hair and a goatee. His eyes were sharp, clear, and had an air of authority about them that made even Naruto feel like he should listen to him when given an order. Taking one look at the three men Naruto nodded and said, "Boar…Hare…Commander…How can I help you this evening?"

"Taichou," Commander said with a nod, "I wasn't away you had been briefed on our personal profiles. Regardless, please refrain from using our codenames while inactive."

"Sorry, just slipped out." Naruto said with a shrug. "I haven't been briefed on your personal profiles—I just recognized all your signatures." Noticing the surprised look on all of their faces he continued, "Relax though, this estate is safer than our base of operations…" He trailed off and looked at the three. "What should I call you then?"

"Akira," Hare said.

"Kenshi," Boar said.

"Rei," Commander said.

"Okay," Naruto said with a nod, "why are you here? Or did you guys wanna party too?" He grinned as he opened the door wider to let them in.

"I'm afraid we're here for business, taichou." Rei said stepping in and coming to a stop in the atrium with the other two.

"I received no emergency message," Naruto said tapping his shoulder and going into full commander mode. "Color status?" He was expecting orange or maybe even red—something that required immediate attention.

"Green, actually." Rei answered.

"Huh?" Naruto said intelligently getting a snicker out of Akira and Kenshi.

"Jihibiki suggested we stop by to discuss this matter."

"I see," Naruto said slowly before turning and motioning them to follow. "They're in the back."

The small group walked through the house and exited out the back, laughter and shouts greeting them as soon as Naruto pulled the door open.

"Impressive sound proofing," Kenshi muttered to Akira as everyone stopped and turned to look at the newest additions.

"Naruto-kun, who are these people?" Hinata asked finding her voice first. She'd been helping herself to the sake and, like Samui, was sporting a pink blush from the alcohol as well. "I've never seen them before."

"This is Kenshi, Akira, and Rei," Naruto lied as he calmly motioned to each man respectively. "We've been on a couple of missions together, gotten into some sticky situations, and we've become pretty good friends."

Everyone smiled and greeted them, accepting what the blonde said except for Hinata. She instead narrowed her eyes slightly and nodded, but said nothing else.

The look didn't go unnoticed and Rei leaned over to Naruto and asked quietly, "Did you tell anyone about us?"

"Of course not," Naruto said not keeping his attention on the rest of the group as they returned to their conversations.

"Well I believe Hinata-sama has detected a lie."

That got Naruto to blink and look at Rei, "Impossible," He turned his head back to the woman in question and caught her glancing at them out of the corner of her eye. She went back to listening to Renge tell a story and Naruto started to sweat, "There's no way she could tell, right?"

"It would appear your girlfriend knows you better than you think." Kenshi said smugly, elbowing the blonde in the ribs.

"Oh good, everyone's here now!" Jihibiki said appearing in the doorway behind the small group and effectively cutting off any response Naruto was going to give. "Naruto, if you'd please follow me over here. Everyone else, listen up!"

Naruto followed his grandfather, confused on what was going on but choosing to remain patient. He could see the hop in the old man's step and the eager grin on his face and Naruto couldn't deny the excitement he felt beginning to build in his own chest. The two walked over to the head of the table and were quickly joined by Renge and Tsunade—both who seemed to be just as eager. Feeling the energy practically jump through the air, Naruto focused on his grandfather.

Seeing that everyone had quieted down, Jihibiki began. "The Uzumaki clan has been around since the founding of the shinobi arts. They were one of the first original clans to utilize chakra, and pioneered the way for future ninja." He turned slightly to Naruto and continued, "Thousands upon thousands of Uzumaki have lived under the spiraling crest once recognized throughout the world as one of the biggest forces to be reckoned with," he glanced at Hinata and caused her to blush, "and—god willing—thousands more will someday prosper under the very same banner.

"Through five different eras—five different time periods—the Uzumaki have dwindled slowly in numbers—but we survived!" Jihibiki declared emotionally and raised a fist in the air in defiance. "Our pride was stepped on, our lives destroyed, and our honor tarnished…but here we are, and there's no way in hell we'll ever give up!" This was met with a cheer from the group as the combination of sake and Jihibiki's emotions get everyone excited.

"If there's one thing the Uzumaki have had throughout time," Jihibiki continued, "it's a leader to look up to in times of darkness. Even during the Nomadic Era, they had someone to turn to, to put their beliefs in, and bear the responsibility of the clan's wellbeing. However," Jihibiki's became softer as he looked to the ground, "it was during the Nomadic Era that the last leader failed the clan and nearly saw to their annihilation…"

Naruto felt a pang of sadness shoot through him and he instinctively reached out and clasped his grandfather's shoulder, and in doing so he elicited a sad smile from the old man. Looking up with a mixture of pain in regret, Jihibiki reached into his robes and pulled out a weathered scroll. Holding it out to Naruto, his next words shocked everyone mute.

"Therefore, I would like to formally step down from the position due to my inadequacies and nominate a successor. I hereby nominate you, Uzumaki Naruto, for the position of Uzumaki clan head." Jihibiki gave a small smile at the look he received from his grandson. "However, due to my failings as a leader my decision for a legitimate heir falls into question! So, according to Uzumaki law we will put it to a clan vote with majority rule!"

Jihibiki then turned to the table and spread both hands wide. "All in favor of electing Uzumaki Naruto as the new clan head?"

"I!" Karin shouted, shooting her hand up so fast she nearly fell back and almost knocked Neji out of his seat.

"I," Renge said raising her hand with a chuckle.

Jihibiki turned to Naruto who was staring at him in shock and gave him a soft smile. "I," he said just as gently before breaking out in a huge grin. "Uzumaki Naruto, the clan has voted and the decision is unanimous—we have deemed you worthy of carrying the title as clan protector! Do you accept?"

Naruto stood in shock for a few seconds trying to process everything that was happening. Finally, he managed to close his gaping mouth and give a weak nod. Accepting the answer, Jihibiki unrolled the scroll and set it down on the table. There were three names, two Naruto didn't recognize and then Jihibiki's at the end. Said elder then pulled a ring out with the Uzumaki crest and slipped it onto his finger. Grabbing Naruto's hand, he pricked the blonde's thumb with a tack that stuck up from the center of the ring and allowed his blood to run down and swirl around the seal.

"Sign your name in blood." Jihibiki ordered before pricking his own thumb and allowing his own blood to mix with his grandson's.

Naruto did as he was told and when he was done he stepped aside for Jihibiki. The old man then took the ring and pressed it firmly to the scroll underneath Naruto's name while channeling chakra through it at the same time. The Uzumaki crest glowed a brilliant crimson color before slowly dimming until it was black. Naruto then let out a yelp of surprise when the very symbol burned into his skin on his right ring finger. Looking up at Jihibiki in confusion, the old man smiled widely and rolled up the scroll before turning to the rest of the group.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said clapping Naruto on the back, "I give you the fourth Uzumaki clan head!"

Everyone broke into loud cheers, even the three Anbu, and congratulated the newly minted clan head. After things finally died down Tsunade stepped forward and presented another scroll to him. Opening it and scanning the contents, Tsunade began explaining to the rest of the group.

"This is an application for a request to be recognized as an official clan of Konohagakure no Sato and a place on the council." Tsunade said motioning to the document in Naruto's hands. "If you'll notice, I've already taken the liberty of filling in my name and insignia." Reaching into her robe and pulling out an elegant gold calligraphy pen she offered it to Naruto and said, "Would you please honor this village with the prestige of calling the Uzumaki clan one of their own?

"You sure you want that kinda headache, baa-chan?" Naruto asked with a chuckle, getting a few laughs from everyone.

Tsunade just gave him a knowing grin, "Something tells me it won't be my problem for much longer."

Smirking at her, Naruto grabbed the pen and quickly wrote his name down in a flourish. Pausing for a moment, he smiled and quickly drew a chibi version of himself below shooting a peace sign before Tsunade could react. Then clenching his right hand, he channeled chakra to it and pressed it against the paper next to his name. The new seal on his ring finger grew crimson again and when he removed it the Uzumaki symbol sat there in black ink. Looking up at his adoptive mother he felt his smile explode into a full blown grin as he handed the paper back to her.

"Almost there," he said soft enough for only her to catch since everyone once again exploded into a round of cheers.

Wiping a single tear away she gave him a loving smile, nodded, and then wrapped him in a hug. "I know," she whispered back and failed to keep a small sob from escaping, "and I'm so proud of you!"

Stepping away it was then Renge's turn to step forward with yet another scroll.

"Dammit," Naruto declared in mock frustration, "I haven't even been clan head for more than five minutes and I've already done more paper work than baa-chan does in a day!"

Everyone chuckled while the blonde Hokage folded her arms and grumbled under her breath about disrespectful brats. Renge then cleared her throat and presented Naruto with the final scroll.

"If there was one thing our clan was known for other than our mastery of fuinjutsu, it was the dedication, support, and loyalty we show to our family. In our entire history, never once was there a report of murder or betrayal between members of the clan—something surely no other clan can boast." Sweeping her hand out towards the group she eyed them and said, "However, this loyalty, commitment, and loving support doesn't always fall to family directly linked by blood." Her eyes stopped on Sai and she smiled in a way that made them sparkle. "Sometimes it's the people we're closest to who provide the best of what we need."

Naruto and Sai locked eyes and both smiled before sharing an unspoken conversation.

Do you know what she's getting at? Sai asked, cocking an eye brow. Not a damn clue what the crazy bat is saying, Naruto replied.

Shooting them both a glare as if she heard their conversation, Renge continued. "This here is a request for a formal acceptance into the clan." That got everyone to blind and Sai to drop his mouth a little. Renge then turned to him and smiled darkly, "If you're _really_ sure you _really_ want to be a part of this clan…then sign on the dotted line."

Sai took the scroll and looked down at it, his eyebrows knitting together. Everyone held a collective breath as they waited to hear what the artist's finally decision would as all eyes watched him unwaveringly. Finally Sai looked up at Karin, Renge, Jihibiki, and Naruto and smiled.

"Well, I guess I can't let you fire crotches have all the fun! Someone's gotta help dickless even out the color palette."

Said Uzumakis face planted while everyone else burst into laughter.

"I regret asking him already…" Renge grumbled pulling herself up. Yanking the scroll out of Sai's hand after he'd signed it, she then turned to Naruto and offered it to him. "All we need is your signature and the little shit is ours."

Naruto looked at the scroll for a moment before grinning evilly. Signing the paper and applying his seal once more, he handed the paper back.

"We'll see who is regretting what in the end." He said and his grin was quickly mimicked by his grandmother. "Is that it?"

Receiving a nod from the three elders he smiled widely and slammed his hand down on the table. There was a large poof of smoke as the contents in the table were unsealed and when it finally cleared everyone was shocked to find four mini kegs of fire whiskey from Mt. Myoboku sitting on the table.

"Then let's get this party started!" Naruto cheered to which everyone else returned in a loud shout. While everyone was in the process of cracking open the contents and pouring them amongst themselves, Naruto leaned over to his grandfather and asked, "Is there a reason our fellow Anbu were summoned here by you?"

Jihibiki gave a sharp nod, instantly going into serious mode while still keeping the happy demeanor. "Round the others up and meet me at the staircase," he said before motioning for the three Anbu to follow inside.

Making his way through the crowd slowly, Naruto smiled and shared small talk with everyone as they congratulated him on his ascension. Making eye contact with Shino across the deck, he gave the slightest jerk of his head towards the house. The Aburame nodded and meticulously untangled himself from Tamamushi, who apparently was an extreme lightweight and rather…clinging. Naruto was then about to make his way to Shikamaru who was currently talking with Choji and Neji while Temari leaned against the lazy Nara's shoulder when Hinata blocked his path.

"Congratulations, Naruto-kun!" She said brightly and rushed him with a hug.

Naruto chuckled and returned it. "Thanks, Hime."

Stepping back with a blush, she reached out and managed to grab his hand causing the blonde to blush as well. "W-Would you like to sit with m-me?"

Naruto felt his heart skip a beat when she spoke and he was forced to take a calming breath. He'd forgotten how bold she tended to be when she started to drink. It was cute, but at the same time slightly off-putting. A gentle squeeze of his hand brought him out of his thoughts.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked shyly glancing down at the ground.

Giving her the genuine smile only she ever saw, he returned the squeeze and said, "In a minute Hina-chan. I've got to take care of something inside first and then I'll be back out, okay?"

"C-Can I help?" Hinata asked, perking up.

"Ah…sorry, but no. It's…" He struggled for the words. He didn't want to lie to her but he realized there was no other way around it.

"It has to do with those three other men, doesn't it." It was more of a statement than a question and Hinata looked down to try and hide her eyebrows furrowing together.

"It does," Naruto said with a sigh, feeling a weight lift from his shoulders. "There's no reason to worry, okay?"

Hinata frowned for a moment before looking up and ensnaring him in her lavender orbs. "Promise," she asked and internally she berated herself making it sound more like a plea.

Naruto chuckled and nodded his head. "I promise. I'll be back soon," he said giving her hand another squeeze.

Hinata paused for a moment before giving a nod and slowly letting Naruto's hand slip from hers. Taking a step back to let him pass, she held the hand that was just in his—already missing the warmth of his hold. Naruto gave her one more smile before moving past her and towards Shikamaru.

If there was anyone that looked like they were ready for a rescue, it was the lazy genius. His conversation had been brought to an end when Ino started going on about some pointless new fashion trend. Normally Temari wouldn't bite on such a pointless topic, but said topic happened to be about decorative fans. Naturally, the wind mistress immediately dove headlong into the conversation effectively leaving both Shikamaru and Choji on the outs.

"Shikamaru," Naruto said managing to halt the conversation the kunoichi were having temporarily. "Mind if I talk to you in private about something?"

"Lead the way!" Shikamaru said springing up from his spot. Shooting a glance back at Temari he saw the slightest hints of a pout and sighed. "I'll be right back, okay?"

She clicked her teeth before grinning. "You better be!" She said giving him a quick swat on the ass.

"Troublesome woman!" Shikamaru muttered as he rubbed the spot and started to follow Naruto away.

"Any chance I could be included?" Choji asked, not exactly wanting to be left alone in the proverbial sea of estrogen as he now caught a glance of Tenten making her way over.

"Sorry Choji, but this is between me and Shikamaru." Naruto said with a sympathetic smile. "But why don't you go find Kiba, I think I heard him mention something about a drinking competition soon."

"That's got me written all over it!" Choji declared as he jumped up and barreled his way through the small crowd.

Making their way to the back door, they were met there by Shino and Sai, who had managed to slip away from Samui while she sat enraptured by one of Renge's stories.

"Let's try to make this quick before we're missed," Sai said, opening the door and following in behind everyone else.

* * *

><p>Hinata watched Naruto go inside, a small frown forming as she saw his shoulders ever so slightly sag.<p>

"You see it too don't you." Karin said, suddenly appearing next to Hinata with the same frown. Hinata let out a small gasp at the red heads sudden arrival. "You can see it in the way he walks. It's as if he's carrying the entire weight of the world on his shoulders…"

Hinata looked at Karin in surprise before turning her attention back to the blonde. She was right. Naruto almost appeared to strain under an invisible weight.

"Has he said anything to you?" Hinata asked.

Karin shook her head. "Nii-sama is open about a lot of things, but this…whatever it is…I can't seem to get him to budge on it." Karin looked down with a frown and wrapped her arms around herself. "I hate it."

"Hate what, Karin-chan?"

"I hate how I feel so useless in this family." Karin said looking up at Hinata. Her voice was tight and her face strained to keep her emotions in check. "I hate how they're all in on something. Jiji…baa-chan…Sai…Naruto-nii…They're all up to something but they won't tell me what! It makes me feel so…so…_worthless._"

Hinata quickly moved to her friend's aide and moved them off to the corner of the deck away from the group. Setting her down on a swinging bench, Hinata waited patiently until Karin was ready to talk.

"Thanks," Karin finally said taking a deep breath and letting it out while sitting back. "I just feel like I need to prove my worth to them. That I'm not just some weak kuniochi, but someone worthy of holding the name Uzumaki."

Hinata couldn't help but let out a giggle at hearing that, which caused the red head to shoot her an angry glare.

"Is that funny to ya or somethin'?" Karin spat out.

"Sorry Karin-chan, you misunderstand." Hinata said with another giggle. "Naruto-kun adores you. Don't forget he threatened to destroy the village just to see you safe at home, a village he nearly died to protect just a few weeks earlier. I don't think you have to prove anything to any of them. It may be true they're up to something, but I'm sure Naruto-kun has his reasons for keeping it from you."

"Probably doesn't trust me…" Karin said looking away and folding her arms. A sharp pain to the back of her head had her yelping. "The hell was that for?!"

"Don't you dare doubt Naruto-kun for one second!" Hinata scolded while jabbing a finger into her chest. "If I had to guess why he's keeping it from you, it's because Naruto-kun cares about you so much he doesn't want you to worry about what's happening! He probably wants you to relax and finally find happiness after being without it for so long! He'd rather shoulder that weight so his little sister can finally enjoy herself! So don't you _ever_ doubt him, understand?"

Karin stared at the Hyuuga heiress in shock until she finally managed to nod dumbly. Finally a grin spread across her face and she burst into laughter.

"Man, I can see why nii-sama's whole world revolves around you!" Karin said between breathes.

"Th-That's not true, Karin-chan!" Hinata said blushing while holding her cheeks and looking away.

"Oh please, he'd do anything just to see his precious little _Hime_ laugh!"

"Says the girl who swoons whenever Neji-niisan smiles at her." Hinata shot back.

"Says the pot to the kettle," Renge said with a grin, appearing behind them.

"EEP!" The two girls shouted in unison causing the rest of the party to burst out in laughter.

"Baa-chaaaan!" Karin whined while trying to resuscitate a startled Hinata.

Renge just cackled before motioning them back towards the table. "C'mon, as much as I love to see you connecting with my future granddaughter-in-law, I think everyone's missing you at the table."

Giving a sigh, Karin dragged a still blubbering Hinata back towards the rest of the party.

* * *

><p>Naruto and the others found Jihibiki, Akira, Rei, and Kenshi at the base of the stairs waiting patiently for their arrival. Walking up to Jihibiki, the blonde commander cocked an eyebrow asking the silent question.<p>

"We'll discuss it upstairs." Was all the elder Uzumaki said before turning and hobbling his way up the steps.

Looking at the rest of them, Naruto shrugged and followed his grandfather. At first he thought they would go to his bedroom, since earlier while everyone was busy preparing for the party Jihibiki had shown him all the privacy seals. To his surprise though, they took the next staircase and soon found themselves out in the night air overlooking the party as well as the village.

"The hell Jiji?" Naruto asked looking at him in confusion.

Jihibiki simply cracked his crazy grin and made a few hand seals before slamming his foot on the ground. Suddenly the air around the four railings shimmered and then grew still—the evening breeze that blew through the air suddenly ceasing to exist. Then a massive table exploded out of nowhere in a cloud of smoke and when it finally disappeared there was a collective gasp from the group.

Across the top of the table was a 3D scaled model of Konohagakure complete with mini civilians going about their daily lives, which Naruto could've sworn looked like they were moving. Upon closer inspection he realized they were in fact moving and looked up at Jihibiki in a mixture of shock and horror.

"Witchcraft," Naruto asked squinting up at his grandfather.

"Seals." Jihibiki corrected and pointed at certain places in the city. "Your father had been working on this map for quite some time, but he never finished it until just after he became Hokage. Genius really," he said as he began to walk around it. "He used multiple sensor seals to triangulate objects in motion while at the same time utilizing chakra sensing seals in tandem to allow a better gauging of chakra levels of said objects in motion."

Stopping just in front of them he pointed to a tiny pale figure standing next to a cart.

"This is a normal civilian. You can tell because of the whitish blue associated with the figure." He then turned his attention to another figure that was making their way down the same street. "This person here is a ninja because their color is much darker. As it stands a genin is pale blue, chuunin is blue, and jonin is dark blue."

"So judging from the technology present," Shikamaru said taking a step closer to look at the map, "this will be our new base of operations for tomorrow night?"

"Correct," Jihibiki said.

"This will significantly help with our planning as well as when the operation becomes a go." Shikamaru stated.

"Just wait, it gets even better." Jihibiki said quickly with a grin. "Shino, send ten of your kikaichu out into the village and attach them to random people. It doesn't matter who."

Shino hesitated just for a moment before nodding and allowing ten of his beetles to fly away from his body.

"While we're waiting for the beetles," Sai said gaining the room's attention, "how was this map created with the buildings? There's sensor seals for people, yes, but how is the architecture accounted for?"

"My guess would be some type of terrain mapping seal for size, shape, and depth and layered with elevation sensors for height," Naruto offered up looking at his grandfather. Seeing his blank look he shrugged and said, "What? It's what I'd do."

Jihibiki's blank look quickly changed to one of sheer joy and he let out a sharp laugh before clapping the blonde on the back.

"I must say Naruto-kun, you've certainly come a long way in just a month!" The old man allowed his smile to grow even more, "That's exactly what it is!"

"This is probably a stupid question," Akira said trying to hide his grimace, "but is this room secure?"

His answer came in the form of deadpan stares from the three Uzumakis.

"You're on the Uzumaki clan's secret estate…" Jihibiki said.

"Where the memorial stone alone is guarded by over a thousand seals…" Sai continued.

"In a room designed by my father…" Naruto finished. "_No, _by all means let's make sure this place is _safe_ and run a sweep."

"Taichou…please stop." Akira said rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm sorry."

"Jihibiki-san," Shino interrupted, saving Akira. "My insects are in place."

"Okay, here we go!" Jihibiki said rubbing his hands together. "Shino, activate Justice and come over here."

Shino did as he was instructed and when he was standing by Jihibiki's side the old man then indicated to two seals shoulder length apart on the table.

"Place your hands on those seals," he instructed. "The seals will do the rest."

Shino placed his hands on the seals and a moment later ten figures on the map randomly turned red. Gingerly removing his hands from the seals revealed the figures remained red even after lost contact with the bug user.

"I tweaked the map a little to allow compatibility with the Night Angels." Jihibiki explained as he began to once again walk around the map. "And as shown the benefits vastly improve our chances of this mission going off without a hitch."

"That's the understatement of the century!" Shikamaru said excitedly, his eyes taking on a glint Naruto rarely saw. The eyes of a motivated genius. "By using Justice, Shino can mark every single target with his insects and watch them in real time! With someone here to coordinate the mission, we could very well have a zero casualty on every side!"

"Exactly!" Jihibiki replied just as excited.

"Then let's rendezvous here tomorrow at 1800 hours," Naruto said taking command. "Well go over the mission briefing one more time before setting out."

"Yes sir!" Was the chorused response from everyone present.

"Great," Naruto said with a nod before smiling. "Then let's get back to the party before we're missed."

* * *

><p>"Naruto," Shino said getting the blonde's attention as the group descended the staircase. "Is it wise to be having a party on the eve of one of the most important missions in the history of our village?"<p>

Naruto simply smirked. "I believe Rei can answer that for you Shino."

Shino merely cocked an eyebrow and diverted his attention to the Anbu commander.

"It is important to know when to relax, Shino." Rei explained as they turned the corner and descended the last staircase. "Especially in high class missions, operatives need to know when to cut loose and blow off steam. It's why most Anbu shinobi spend the day before any mission doing menial tasks to relax or cut loose for a bit. Knowing how to calm your nerves is just as important as knowing how many steps the door to the right is from the entry point of a hallway."

Shino nodded in understanding and was silent until they made it to the kitchen.

"Still," he said, "should everyone be drinking? We should be in top physical condition for our assignment tomorrow."

"Oh come on Shino!" Naruto said in exasperation, wrapping an arm around him. "We're young! It's nothing a glass or two of water before bed and a little sleeping in can't cure!" Seeing the Aburame still wasn't convinced he added, "Besides, we have the best doctor in the entire elemental nations here to patch us up if we really need it."

"I suppose you have a point…" Shino muttered.

"Good man!" Naruto said as he opened up the back door.

"NARUTOOO!"

"Hina-OMPF!"

Naruto was sent toppling backwards when a blue and lavender streak slammed into his chest. Looking up in a daze, he was met with the drunken smile of the Hyuuga heiress as she squeezed him as tight as she could.

"Naruto…" she said seriously before trailing off with a hiccup, "-kun…don't yoush ever, ever, _ever_, leave me—" another hiccup, "alone again!"

"I—um…okay?" Naruto asked more than stated to which he earned uproarious laughter from the rest of the intoxicated party. "How much has she had?!"

"Not mush," Karin slurred red in the face as well. "Only like…" she trailed off as her head slammed into the table and she started snoring.

"Yesh! That many preshishly!" Neji declared shooting a hand up into the air. Unfortunately he did it with a little too much vigor and quickly found himself crashing backwards out of his chair.

"Damn whippershhhnappers," Hiashi mumbled, his eyes closed and propping himself up with an arm. "Can't hold their booze…"

Realizing they weren't getting any answers quick, Sai stepped forward. "By a show of hands, who here is sober?"

As if by some miracle of god, everyone—even Karin, Neji, and Hiashi—suddenly shot their hands into the air with cheer.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly catching the blonde's attention.

She looked up at him through her blush and puckered her lips in a small pout, her kimono parting just enough for Naruto to make out the black lace bra she was wearing underneath. He instantly found himself fighting down his own temperatures in more than one area.

"I've only had three drinksh," she finished before returning to burying her face in his chest. "Mmm, I wanna shleep on you so bad." She purred out rubbing her cheeks on his chest and stomach.

"On him or with him?" Temari asked with an evil grin.

"Both," Hinata said without missing a beat.

The following silence was so quiet a mute could have been heard.

"Oh my…" Tenten muttered with a blush, subconsciously leaning back into Lee.

"Sai!" Naruto hissed looking up at him. "Help me out here!"

"Why?" Sai asked in confusion. Whipping out his godforsaken book he began to flip through the pages. "It says here all you need to do is close—a hook line that makes them go all in. Do you need one?"

"Like hell!" Naruto shouted managing to stand up with Hinata still wrapped around his chest. "Gimme that," he said ripping the book out of his hands.

"It's okay, you can have it." Sai said pulling out a second. "I have a spare."

"I need a drink," Naruto grumbled making his way to the table.

"Here, here!" Renge cheered as she waved a glass around before downing the contents.

Smacking her lips she sat back with a sigh and surveyed the surroundings. Karin was awake again, and had managed to weasel her way into Neji's lap. Said Hyuuga was blushing like mad and attempting to stay as composed as possible. He was failing. Kiba and Choji were both two sips away from becoming part of the floor—their drinking competition quickly coming to a halt and ending in a tie. They were currently sharing a deep and philosophical conversation on why toast always landed butter-side down. Shino had rejoined Tamamushi on the patio couch and was quickly put to use as a cushion. Samui quickly made her way over to Sai, feeling slightly uncomfortable since she didn't really know anyone and clung to him like a life line. It seemed the fire whiskey was loosening everyone up. Even Tsunade was currently poking fun at Hiashi for his daughters being less of a light weight than he was.

And the younger group wasn't fairing much better. They'd been allowed one glass each and that was all it took. Konohamaru was currently re-enacting his valiant efforts to protect Hanabi from her would be attacker. He was at the point of the story where he jumped in to save her and dramatically leapt onto the deck railing for emphasis—only to miss and crash into the yard. This lead to a round of laughs and Hanabi doting over him with a blush of her own. Udon was currently reciting poetry to Moegi at the top of his lungs and judging by the look on her face she was either completely captivated or absolutely mortified. Tenten and Lee looked on in mirth, the bun haired weapons mistress leaning back into her taijutsu master's hold as they swayed back and forth gently to the light music Renge had put on earlier.

By now the sun had begun to set and the sky was painting itself reds and oranges. In the slowly dying day, automatic deck lights began to flicker to life and illuminate the deck in a warm ambiance. A crisp breeze, not to cool but filled with the smells of autumn, gently flowed across the backyard and elicited a rueful smile from the elder Uzumaki.

"It's good to finally see life in this place." She said.

"It most certainly is," Jihibiki said taking a seat next to her. Grasping her hand, he brought it to his lips and gave it a kiss.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done." Naruto added setting Hinata down in a seat across from them and then taking a seat next to her. "All of this," he gestured to the surroundings, "is more than anything I could ever ask for."

Pouring out three cups and passing them around, Jihibiki rose his glass which was mimicked by the other two. "To second chances."

"Two second chances," the other two repeated softly before downing their cups.

Naruto coughed and thumped his chest. "Man, I always forget how hard that first drink bites."

"I'm long past that," Renge said with a chuckled as she poured another round.

"It's only been like twenty minutes," Naruto said with a humored smirk. He could spy the oncoming of a blush on her face.

"Bah, long enough to nearly finish one keg!" She crooned as she threw back another glass.

"Sweetie," Jihibiki said in concern and started reaching for her glass, "maybe you should—"

He was cut off when he received a kick in the shin from Naruto under the table.

"Have another round!" Naruto finished as he poured all of them the last bit from the keg. Holding his glass up, he said with a smile, "To family!"

"To family!" The other two chanted, and this time they were joined by Karin, Sai, and Hinata.

Naruto threw his liquor back and noticed the faraway look that suddenly overcame his grandmother's eyes. Setting his glass down gently, he watched as her eyes began to dart this way and that as if she were watching an invisible scene. Tears began to form and her lips quivered ever so slightly before a soft sob finally escaped them.

"…My family…"

Jihibiki slowly wrapped her hand in his, and rubbed her back with the other. She tried to reach for her glass, but the alcohol finally caught up to her and she ended up knocking the cup away. Her body shook violently as she was wracked with another set of sobs.

Everyone fell silent and allowed the elder to morn in peace. It during this lull in sound that Naruto's thoughts turned to the conversation he'd had with Kurama earlier. He'd said to ask her when she was good and drunk. He had to admit now was a better time than any.

"Hey baa-chan," Naruto said catching Renge's attention. "All those years ago…Why…Why did the bridge burn?"


	37. The 15th Day

**A/N: Not much to say here. One of longer chapters in this story so hopefully the wait was worth it. This is also probably one of the most important chapters in the story and in more ways than one so read closely. I know it's a little dialogue heavy but it just had to happen. This is the last chapter before the Festival begins. Finally, school started up this past week and though I have the least amount of credit hours I've ever had in my college career I've never been busier. So, as a heads up, the updates might take a little longer to get out. Sorry. If I could make a living on this site I'd probably be churning out a chapter a day. But alas…I cannot.**

**Last Time: **A party was thrown at the new Uzumaki compound to christen the uninhabited estate and to loosen the nerves of the Night Angels before the big mission. The remaining members of the Konoha 12 showed up along with Hiashi, Hanabi, Tsunade, the Anbu Commander, Hare, Boar, and the Konohamaru Corps. Naruto was then elected the fourth head of the Uzumaki clan and formerly recognized as a clan in the eyes of the Hidden Leaf Village. Then Sai was "adopted" into the clan, further cementing his bonds with Naruto and the others. Shortly afterwards Jihibiki and Naruto rounded up the members of the mission and took them to the third floor of the mansion to find a secret control center of the village. Jihibiki then showed the members present the 3-D map of Konoha complete with real-time feed of every person present in the village. When combined with Shino's Justice Mask, the ninja could then mark all of their targets and have a bird's eye view of the entire mission. Rejoining the party, the group found everyone completely wasted and a sloppy mess. Seeing Renge was much the same way, Naruto took the opportunity to ask her about the fall of Uzushiogakure.

**Chapter 36: The 15****th**** Day**

"Naruto!" Jihibiki hissed, glancing around them. "This is hardly the place to be talking about _that!_"

Naruto simply stared at his grandfather impassively. "More like you just don't want to relive it. I've waited long enough to hear the full story. Either tell it to me or let me accept what Kurama's told me as the whole truth."

"Damn right I don't want to relive it, let alone put Renge through it!" Jihibiki said.

A tense silence followed as the two stared each other down.

"S'kay Jihibiki," she said in low voice. "He has a right ta know."

"I know that!" He snapped, "But the others don't!"

"I wash jusht getting ready to leave acshually." Hiashi said as he stood up with a stumble. Looking over at youngest daughter he said, "Hanabi, be a dear and help daddy home."

"But what about Konohamaru-kun and the others?" Hanabi asked in more concern than she should have. It seemed the alcohol was causing the situation to become life or death for the young teen.

"Bah!" Haishi said waving his hand and nearly causing him to topple over. "They can come too!"

"Yay! Come on Kono-kun!" Hanabi shouted as she pulled the Sarutobi heir to his feet. "Come on guys!"

Turning back to the table he said, "Neji…I trusht you can shee Hina…ta home?"

Neji squinted at Hiashi for a second as if he were trying to make out who was speaking. When he finally realized who it was he shot him a sloppy thumb up. "You got it chief!"

"We'll be taking our leave as well." Shino said. On his back was Tamamushi, snoring softly and giggling. Next to him was Shikamaru, who was hoisting Choji over his shoulder with the help of Temari while Ino pulled Kiba along. Rei, Kenshi, and Akira were already silently walking through the house to the front door. Typical Anbu move, never say goodbye.

"Alright, thanks for coming out guys!" Naruto said with a grin and a wave.

"We'll see ourselves out, see you tomorrow Naruto." Shino said with a nod.

Samui shifted uncomfortably when she realized she was the last person there who wasn't immediate family or intimately familiar with them. "I can leave if I'm an inconvenience."

Renge just cackled and waved her off, "We're all teamin' up in the war and havin' ta repeat myself after Sai gets back from escortin' ya home would be a pain. Besides," she said with a sloppy evil smile, "wouldn't wanna go runnin' off a future Uzumaki."

"W-W-What?!" Samui sputtered out with a crimson blush.

"Teasin'!" Renge sang with a wink.

"Get used to it…" Hinata muttered as she leaned against Naruto shoulder.

"Back to the topic at hand," Naruto said taking control of the conversation and looking at the Uzumaki matriarch. "Baa-chan, what bridge burned on the day Uzushiogakure fell? And why?"

Renge was silent as the memories began to lap up to the front of her mind like waves on the very beaches she used to call home. Her eyes narrowed, not in anger but in the way a veteran remembers painful scars from a war. Letting out a tired sigh her alcohol sodden eyes roamed over the group before finally settling on Naruto's eager yet firm face.

"Where ta start…I s'ppose from the beginnin', yes?" She half muttered to herself and pulled a picture from her pocket.

Sliding it across the table, Naruto, Hinata, Sai, and Karin all leaned in to look at it. The photograph was worn and old, the edges tattered and yellowing despite being a black and white. In it, two women dressed in regal kimonos sat in front of the camera—their smiles lighting up their already beautiful features. They were sisters no doubt, the similarities in their nose, cheeks, and smiles said that much, and they looked to be in their early twenties. Their features were familiar to Naruto, but he couldn't quite figure out why. Young, beautiful, and apparently of noble birth—the two women were most certainly well off in the world.

"They're beautiful," Hinata said softly, trying to keep the envy out of her voice.

"Thanks sweetie," Renge said with a small smile. "That picture is of me an' Mito on the day I was inaugurated as the third Daimyo of Uzu."

"Heh, well that explains why they look so familiar." Naruto said taking a closer look at the picture. Noticing the one on the right had some sort of jeweled chain with a gem running across her forehead, Naruto took a guess. "This is you right," he asked pointing to her. Getting a nod from her he laughed, "I'd say age hasn't been kind to you, but for a hundred and forty-eight year-old you look pretty damn good."

Renge chuckled and shook her head. "I can't argue there. But notice someone else in the picture?"

Looking again, Naruto noticed a young man standing between the two girls in the background wearing armor of the warring states era. Slightly older than the women, he already adorned scars from previous battles he'd seen during his life. He stood at attention, the Uzumaki emblem displayed proudly on his chest and long hair pulled back in a ponytail that fell down past his shoulders. Despite his formal posture though, his body seemed to be ever-so-slightly angled towards Renge as well as his eyes even though he looked forward. Holding the picture closer, Naruto's own eyes widened when he recognized a familiar nose and chin.

"Jiji?" Naruto breathed out.

"In my prime!" Jihibiki cheered before taking a drink. "Newly elected commander of the Uzuguard, the elite guard of the Daimyo."

"So how does this fit in?" Karin asked.

Renge pointed at the photo. "Shortly after my rise, Mito left fer Konoha ta marry Hashirama. While upset, I was also happy my baby sister was gettin' hitched. The two had been courtin' fer some time an' we were both gettin' tired of waitin' on him ta pop the question."

Naruto glanced at Renge and silently evaluated her. After that last explanation it was safe to bet she was drunk. Shitfaced in fact. He hadn't heard her accent that bad since she caught Jihibiki trying to peep on the girls' bath house.

"'m off track though," Renge mumbled waving her hand back and forth slowly, her head dipping every now and then. "Not too long after she left, the Leaf had its first traitor."

"Uchiha Madara…" Tsunade muttered.

A loud shattering cut through the silence and everyone's heads jerked over to Jihibiki who was clutching a shattered sake bottle. The tell-tale signs of anger quickly draining from his face, he looked over at the group and gave an embarrassing smile. "Sorry," he said with a hiccup, "gettin' too inta the story."

"An' fer good reasons." Renge said with a deep nod.

"Why's that?" Neji asked, his eyes narrowing in confusion as well as drunken focus.

"'Cause after he lost ta Hashirama, he didn't die at the Valley of the End like 'verybody thought." Renge said slamming her cup down after another drink. Her eyes could barely stay open and her sentences were starting to become less coherent. "Nah, the bastard came crawlin' ta our doorstep clingin' ta life and beggin' fer help."

"And you did?" Naruto asked incredulously.

"Course we did!" Jihibiki scoffed, his own drunkenness increasing with each glass he drank. It was obvious he was trying to drown the memories. "We knew nothin' 'bout his and Hashirama's little cat fight. An' by the time we did, me an' the rest of the Uzuguard couldn't do anythin'…"

"Why's that?" Hinata asked sitting up. The story was quickly gaining her interest and slowly clearing her mind.

"Ah…" Renge said looking down with a blush. A fucking blush! "That one was my bad. Madara might've been a few cards short of a full deck, but he certainly knew how ta sweet talk the women."

"He _seduced _you?!" Naruto said with his mouth agape. He then shook his head and looked at Jihibiki. "Sorry, now I get why you didn't want to talk about it."

"Ha!" Jihibiki barked out. "That ain't even the best part!" Standing up, he began to stumble around the deck swinging his arms wildly. "He knew I secretly loved Renge! He knew what he was doin'! The bastard made sure ta rub it in my face every time I saw him!" Turning he looked at the group, his face red in a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and alcohol. "I tried ta warn Renge! Tried ta explain ta her he was just usin' her, but _noooo!_ The red eyed bastard was a changed man—wanted ta settle down an' start a new life with a second chance!" Jihibiki collapsed back into his seat with a scoff. "My hands were tied by the very woman I loved. I couldn't disobey her, I'd lose the guard an' the only position I could be closest to her an' watch over her."

"So what happened?" Sai asked.

"He proposed." Renge said softly catching everyone by surprise.

"He…proposed?" Hinata echoed.

"An' I said yes," Renge said before suddenly looking like she was about to cry. "…An' then I lost Jihibiki."

"What do you mean?" Karin asked looking at said elder. He was obviously there.

"I left the guard." Jihibiki said crossing his arms. "I was offered a position away from it all an' when she said yes…I jus' couldn't bear ta be around her anymore."

"What were you offered?" Samui asked.

Jihibiki gave a messy grin. "My time as commander in the Uzuguard wasn't over looked. Got me a one way ticket ta the seat at the top."

"I don't understand," Hinata said.

"Uzukage…" Naruto muttered with wide eyes. "You became Uzukage?"

"The Sandaime Uzukage ta be correct." Jihibiki said proudly. "But more importantly it gave me the opportunity ta keep a closer eye on Renge and the Uchiha-teme while gettin' some space."

"What did you do?" Sai asked.

"A detail of twelve shinobi was assigned ta keep an extremely close eye on Madara. Everythin' he did, I knew about. At first, the unit I assigned thought I was crazy an' heartbroken an' just couldn't let go. That all changed nearly a year after I assigned the mission; when they caught him in the hospital laboratory runnin' experiments."

"What kind of experiments?" Naruto asked.

"Gene splicing." Jihibiki answered. His eyebrows knitted together as the details resurfaced in his foggy mind. "He was tryin' to graft…cells…cells of Hashirama onto his own body in an attempt harness his wood release. While that wasn't necessarily a big problem, the documents we found with him were. Scrolls detailin' ancient medical seals, theories on gene heritage an' manipulation, as well as the Uzumaki ancestry bloodline were with him when he was caught. These scrolls were kept under strict security—limited access—only the Daimyo, Uzukage, top echelon researchers, and elders had access to them. Which could only mean one thing…"

"He attacked the guards and broke into the vaults," Renge finished. "When they found him in the laboratory he ran ta me an' tried ta convince me it was nothin' serious. When that didn't work…he took me hostage."

A pregnant silence fell over the group as they listened on, captivated by the story unfolding before them.

"How did you manage to escape?" Hinata finally asked, breaking the silence.

Renge smiled softly. "Jihibiki saved me." Everyone shifted their gaze to them and he gave a cocky smirk. "The sneaky bastard went an' placed a summonin' seal on a pair of my favorite earrings. All it took were a few hand seals and I was away from the bastard and in the arms of this man here," she said patting her husband's hand. "Knowin' he'd lost Madara ran, but not before swearin' he'd return and raze Uzushio to the ground."

"It seems he'd been doing a lot of that." Naruto muttered to himself with a huff.

"Jihibiki sent our best ninja after him," Renge continued. "But they either came up empty handed…or never returned. Six months later Jihibiki and I were married and a month after that I found out I was pregnant with our only child, Ryuzu. We hadn't heard anything of Madara in that time, an' figured he'd either died or gone inta hidin'. Ta be safe, we never stopped searchin' and even warned Hashirama of his possible reappearance."

Renge's eyes grew distant as another wave of memories surfaced. "A year later…he returned. Just appeared one day on the bridge that connected Uzushio to the mainland. He demanded Jihibiki be executed, we accept him as the new ruler, I marry him…and we kill Ryuzu."

"That's…That's horrible!" Hinata said bringing a hand to her mouth.

"Not as horrible as how he wanted us to kill him!" Jihibiki snarled slamming his fist down on the table. "My son…my very pride…and he wanted us ta throw him from the wall of Uzushio inta the strait, the one that feeds inta the very whirlpools that protected out great country!"

"Naturally we declined his offer, an' politely asked him ta fuck off." Renge explained with a giggle. "So he left, an' a week later a force of over twenty thousand shinobi appeared on our doorstep."

"You just let him leave?" Sai asked in shock.

"Shadow Clone." Jihibiki and Renge said at the same time in irritation. Evidently they hadn't planned on letting him leave.

"The fall of Uzu," Karin whispered. "That's what happened next, right?"

"No," Renge said shaking her head, "even with their forces they couldn't penetrate our defenses. The whirlpools Uzu takes its name from served us well, and the only points of attack were from the bridge connecting Whirlpool ta Fire Country an' the strait that divided our village in two. However, in order ta enter the strait one would have ta thread their way through multiple whirlpools, so we bolstered our forces at the bridge and created a bottleneck on Fire Country's side. Fer two whole weeks they tried ta push us back and hold the bridge, intent on claimin' our only connection ta the mainland. Layin' siege an' starvin' us out, that was their goal. But with Jihibiki spearheadin' our efforts, we easily held them at bay."

"They're mistake was in thinkin' they could lay siege ta us." Jihibiki said with a knowing smirk. "Little did they know Uzu had five years worth of provisions sealed away in case such a thing occurred. So over two weeks, little by little we gave ground—layin' traps, seals, ambushes, anythin' that would hurt their forces. By the time they arrived at our gates, their forces had been halved and their morale was nearly broken. Combined with the seals that protected our walls, it was only a matter of time before we won."

"So how did we lose?" Naruto asked the question on everyone's mind.

"The bane of our existence returned." Renge spat out. She glared at the contents of her glass, her knuckles turning white from her grip. "Madara turned the army's attention away from bridge an' towards the strait. They were skeptical at first, they had tried twice before ta make it through the whirlpools an' both attempts ended in utter failure. But with him…things changed drastically."

"The Rinnegan." Jihibiki explained. "The bastard had figured out a way ta unlock it. An' with its abilities he was unstoppable…A true god amongst men."

"Yes, we're familiar with the ego that comes with it." Naruto muttered.

"Ya know nothing!" Renge scoffed, surprising the blonde. "What Nagato possessed in skills barely scratched the surface in terms of what the dojutsu's true capabilities were."

"He started by makin' a shadow clone," Jihibiki said, his thousand yard stare bringing his past back to life. "Then he split the forces in two, his shadow clone stayed on the bridge and began ta destroy the seals while the real Madara took the other army and approached the heart of the village by water."

"At first, our main concern was the gate and focused our attention there." Renge explained. "While I restored the seals ta the walls, Jihibiki lead wave after wave of Uzu shinobi out ta the bridge ta push the army back. We didn't think Madara would make it ta the strait…it shouldn't have been possible for anyone…but he wasn't jus' anyone."

"The first report of something wrong trickled inta my office a little past noon on the fifteenth day." Jihibiki said, his eyes narrowing. "Reports of earthquakes rockin' the village and causin' minor damage were the first signs of somethin' comin'. At first I assumed it was from the fightin' on the bridge…then a report came of a large mass appearin' on the horizon of the eastern side of the island. My initial fear was that Kiri joined the battle an' was attemptin' to attack from our backside. It turned out ta be somethin' far worse."

"If it wasn't Kiri then what was it?" Sai asked.

"A mountain," Jihibiki said bluntly. The rest of the group looked at him with blank faces. "More specifically_, mountains_. Madara was shiftin' the very floor of the ocean. Causin' a range of mountains ta spring up and disrupt the whirlpools. It was then I knew we would need aide if we were ta survive, so I sent a plea ta Hashirama."

"But the aid never came." Naruto said.

"No it didn't!" Renge yelled slamming her fists on the table so hard she knocked over all the glasses. "The bastard lost his spine, an' 'cause of that we lost our home!" Everyone was silent as they watched tears begin to run down the old redhead's cheeks. "The gates fell first. The seals that guarded our village for decades failed us. An' so many of our clansmen lost their lives tryin' ta push them back from enterin' the city. They were outnumbered an' outclassed—nothin' more than squads of inexperienced genin-level trainees lead by green chuunin. Jihibiki had taken the more experienced ninja ta deal with the force comin' by water."

"We fared no better against the water force," Jihibiki said staring at the space in front of him on the table. "Before, I coulda taken Madara on no problem…but this time…it was different. Much different. I was backpedalin' the entire time. Too busy bein' defensive, tryin' ta save those around me, I couldn't go on the offensive. So when I heard the front gate had fallen, I ordered the retreat ta Little Uzu."

"What's Little Uzu?" Sai asked.

"Uzushio was divided inta two sections by a strait." Renge explained. "Big Uzu was where everythin' that ran Uzushio was located. Businesses, ports, trainin' fields, the kage tower. Little Uzu was where the livin' accommodations were—anyone who lived in Uzushio lived in Little Uzu."

"So when Jiji ordered the retreat it was chaos, right?" Karin asked. "A slow mass of civilians trying to make their way across the bridge out in the open?"

"No, thank god." Renge said.

"I put the entire city on lockdown." Jihibiki explained. "All citizens were to remain confined to their living quarters for the duration of the siege. The only exceptions were for medical emergencies and to retrieve weekly rations. So instead of thousands of people trying to cram across a bridge it was a few hundred. Much easier."

"The retreatin' force with Jihibiki met up with my force at the gate, allowin' the citizens ta retreat across the bridge an' Jihibiki ta cut loose. Outta sheer dumb luck, I managed ta dispel the shadow clone of the Uchiha bastard, an' once I did the fight came ta a standstill. It was durin' this time I left the fight an' started layin' explosive seals on the bridge. By the time Madara's force linked up with the gate force everythin' was complete, an' with Jihibiki distractin' Madara the plan was gonna work perfectly."

"So everything went off without a hitch?" Hinata asked.

Renge glanced at Jihibiki and saw the tears in his eyes. Reaching out she squeezed his hand and brought it to her lips. "No…" she said softly. "It didn't go off without a hitch."

"What happened?" Neji asked, wrapping his arms tighter around Karin.

"In their panic, the citizens left their belongings scattered across the bridge—carts, wagons, crates," Renge said. "An' amidst the chaos, word never reached the hospital ta evacuate…"

"No…" Naruto muttered as he started to piece it together.

"Yes," Renge said wiping away some tears. "There was too much debris on the bridge, an' the more heavily wounded shinobi were going as fast as they could…but the army was gainin' on them. In a desperate attempt, nearly half the male citizens raced back onta the bridge ta help their guardians and protectors…" Renge trailed off as a sob overcame her. "I've never forget that day…Ordinary men runnin' headlong into battle…Jutsus flying over head…Screams of terror and agony of those injured an' dyin'…An' they just ignored it all. They just charged across with a cry of defiance. Throwin' anythin' they could ta the side or over the bridge, throwin' their comrades over their backs or just draggin' them across the ground…"

Renge's voice then became bitter and she scowled. "But it wasn't enough! The army caught up and was crossin' the bridge, cuttin' down everyone they could. It was a massacre an' only maybe a handful of the injured an' civilians had made it ta the other side. Those on the bridge were out of time an' I was out of options…"

"Oh my god…" Hinata said as tears fell from her eyes and she put a hand to her mouth to suppress a sob. She turned to Naruto and he instinctively wrapped his arms around her. "You blew the bridge."

"No…I did." Jihibiki said in a dead voice, his eyes replaying the past. "Renge froze. She just stood there with her hand in the seal, but she couldn't activate it. Even though the army was getting' closer an' closer she just didn't have it in her ta kill her own people…So I stepped in an' did it."

Looking up slowly Renge said, "After the bridge was destroyed, seals on the banks of Big Uzu activated killin' even more and sendin' half a mile of shoreline inta the strait. The invasion was stopped, but only fer a time. An' in that moment we gathered the last of us in the town center an' activated the emergency seal."

"What did it do?" Naruto asked.

"It was a massive transportation seal." Jihibiki said. "The sister seal was on the southern coastline of Fire Country, near Tea. It was a Homing Beacon seal…so naturally, what was left of the clan was scattered along the coast fer miles."

"And what happened to Uzushio?" Samui asked, speaking for the first time.

"I stayed behind." Jihibiki said darkly. "I stayed behind an' killed every last bastard I could get my hands on…They thought they could ransack my home, _my village, _so I gave them what they were lookin' fer…I activated a self destruction seal that wiped out the entire village. An' when I finally came ta Madara I let out all the stops. I used the one technique not even he could stop."

A hushed silence fell over everyone. The entire group collectively holding their breath in anticipation for what was about to come. The move that supposedly defeated the most powerful man in the world.

"And what would that be?" Naruto finally asked, unable to wait through the silence and longer.

Jihibiki turned to him slowly. His once bright clear eyes now flat as he remembered the death and horror of that day. Then they darkened, and a crazed smile split across his face. The smile of a man who exacted his revenge in the worst possible way.

"I used the one seal ya've been intimate with yer entire life, Naruto." He said softly, and his grin widened. "The Shiki Fujin."

* * *

><p>She managed to find him in the pagoda, sitting silently with his back against one of the support beams staring out across the water. He'd apparently used the hand seals because the whirlpool had fallen silent, and the glassy mirror of water reflected the stars and moon perfectly making it appear as if where he sat was on the edge of eternity. She hesitated for a moment, torn between going to him and giving him space. She watched him drain the contents of his sake bottle and toss it to the side—her eyes growing when she saw it come to a stop by all the others he'd already drank.<p>

She quietly made her way out to him.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Naruto murmured as he opened another bottle of sake. "My bet was bottle number twelve." He held the bottle up and examined it. "Guess you're early."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said kneeling down beside him and halting his hand from bringing the bottle to his lips. "Please stop."

"I'm not drunk Hinata."

"I know, b-but drinking when you're upset is n-not a good habit to start."

Naruto stared at her. He could tell that she didn't like standing up to him, it was all over her face. Almost like she was in pain. Letting out a sigh he lowered the bottle and turned his head and look down, staring at his reflection. Locking eyes with himself, Naruto let out something between a disgusted scoff and rueful chuckle.

"Tell me, Hinata." He asked still taking in his appearance. "What do you see when you look at me?"

Hinata struggled to find the words to ease his mind. Renge and Jihibiki's story was difficult to swallow, but what they said afterwards had been world shaking. She knew he'd taken the news hard. Hell, she was taking it hard herself. And if she was upset about it, then there was no telling what the blonde in front of her was feeling. But she hated seeing him like this. She hated seeing him so tormented and hurt on the inside. And she knew if he was going to get better then she needed to be strong for him.

"I-I see…s-someone whose had a hard life and is s-stronger because of it." Hinata said softly.

"Bullshit!" Naruto said throwing the bottle to the side. "You're only one of a very few people I trust wholeheartedly, Hinata. Don't ruin that by saying things that aren't true."

"Th-Then what do y-you see?"

Naruto went back to looking at his reflection. He peered into his tired eyes and scowled.

"I see a boy who was beaten down his entire life, physically and mentally. I see a ninja who's been handed a task so great no one could ever hope to accomplish it." His scowl hardened even more until anger was oozing out of his words. "And I see a man whose entire life has been created for the sole purpose of being some kind of sick joke for the gods."

"So tell me Hinata." Naruto asked again, turning to her as he fought back frustrated tears. "What do you really see?"

Hinata gazed into his tired eyes and felt her heart break from his soul's desperation. She knew what she needed to say, she only prayed he wouldn't hate her for it.

"I see…" Hinata replied softly, her own eyes starting to moisten. "I s-see a man who's in over his head. I see a m-man whose will is about to b-break, whose principles are a-about to be crushed. I l-look at you…and I see a man who is trying with all his strength…b-but in the end will f-f-_fail_!"

Naruto stared at Hinata with his mouth hanging slightly open and eyes unblinking. His breathing became shallow and the slightest trace of a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth for a fraction of a second before disappearing. Turning away from her he let out something between a weak laugh and exhale. They both sat in silence, the only noise being Hinata's sniffles as she patiently waited for his response.

"Well," Naruto said taking a breath in. It seemed as if it had become impossibly difficult to breath, and his body felt heavy and dull. "I guess if you don't even believe in me then I'm fucked…huh?"

"That's n-not what I said, Naruto-kun."

"Yes, it pretty much was!" Naruto snapped causing the girl across from him to flinch. Realizing what he'd just done, Naruto ran a weary hand over his. "Please leave me alone, Hinata."

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata said as she felt hot tears start to streak down her cheeks. It hurt. It hurt to see him like this. It hurt to hear him tell her to go. And it hurt, unbelievably so, to hear him say her name with nothing else—no suffix, no emotion, nothing at all.

"I'm serious; I just want to be left alone." Naruto said looking out back across the water.

He was dismissing her, or at least trying to. And for some reason that made her upset. Maybe it was because she was sick of being dismissed. Her father did it all the time. Neji as well when they were younger. But hearing it from Naruto ignited something within her so hot and volatile the poor blonde had no hope of being prepared.

"No!"

"What?" Naruto asked in surprise, whipping his head around. He instantly regretted his decision when he turned head on into a smack causing his head to shoot back the way it came. Blinking the stars away and holding a stinging cheek he looked back at Hinata in a mix of confusion and anger. "What the hell Hinata?"

"I don't know what it is about you Uzumaki and you alls self-pitying but it has _got _to stop!" Hinata said as loudly as she could without being disrespectful to the monument. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt she gave him a hard look. "I believe in you! I always have and I always will! But you've got to understand something and by god I won't leave you alone until you do! Every human has a breaking point! There's only so much a single person can carry! Only so much before they finally crack and give up! And last time I checked, you were only human!"

"So what are you saying?" Naruto asked glaring back at her.

"I'm saying that you need to realize you can't always be the hero! There's only so much you can do."

"So I should just give up? Just roll over and stop fighting?!"

Another smack echoed across the water and Naruto now held the other cheek in his hand. God the girl could make that sting!

"I never said that!" Hinata said defiantly. "I never _once_ said that and I never will! You mean the world to me; you're my inspiration, my goal, my…m-my everything!" Her face started to burn as she lost momentum and started stumbling over her words. "I l-love y-you and I pray you never forget that! B-But if you e-ever give up Uzumaki Naruto…I'll…I'll n-n-never f-forgive you!"

Naruto stared at the girl clenching his shirt with the same hand she used to smack him, tears slipping down her cheeks, eyes hardened, and lip trembling. Feeling his anger and frustration ebbing away, Naruto cast his eyes away and let out an exhausted sigh. "What's your point?"

"M-My point?" Hinata echoed. "My point i-is that you shouldn't t-try to do this alone w-when there are others w-willing to help…or else y-you'll end up f-failing."

Naruto was quiet as he processed what she told him. It helped to hear her words but at the same time she had no idea what was happening. A smile slid across his lips at his predicament. It made him feel immensely better and antagonized him at the same time. Damn life was a bitch.

"Thanks Hinata," Naruto said softly looking back at her. She mistook his smile and smiled herself. Grabbing her hands he gently pulled them off of his shirt and said, "But this is something I have to do on my own. No one else can help me."

The emotions that flitted over her face passed so quickly he didn't even try to read them all. What he did catch though, was she was hurt, upset, and angry. She opened her mouth to argue but was cut off when he pushed a finger to her lips causing her to blush fiercely.

"I know you don't want to hear that from me." Naruto said with regret. "But _you _need to understand that life is full of hearing things we don't want to hear, accepting things we don't want to accept, and dealing with things that we'd rather not. So I need you to understand Hina…" Moving his hand up, he brushed some hair behind her ear and stared into her soft lavender eyes.

Her face was burning up and he could feel heat radiating from his own. His chest was starting to constrict again and he could feel his hand starting to shake. His eyes drifted down to her lips and he felt a longing to press them against his own. To taste whatever wonderful flavor they were. To sense her soft succulent skin pressed against his.

"I need you to understand that I accept the burdens I carry wholeheartedly. I accept they may wear me down…crush me…leave me broken and scarred. That it's something I must do alone. But it's something I accept if I can protect those precious to me." His hand traced around her ear and cupped her cheek. His eyes softened and the smile only for her, _her_ smile, graced his cheeks. "So I need to ask a favor of you…"

Hinata blinked. Favor? What kind of favor could he possibly want?

"And maybe I'm just being selfish…"

Hinata's heart seized and her eyes widened. The memories erupted from her mind in an explosion of adrenaline. The sun glaring. The dust choking. The blood and pain unimaginable. All to utter a phrase. A phrase that started like that. A phrase that left her lips only a month ago.

"But when the time comes," Naruto continued softly. "When I'm beaten down, broken, cracked and about to give up. Please…believe in me." Moving his thumb gently over her cheek he did his best to keep the desperation out of his voice. "Be strong for me. Stand by me and help me back up…because I know I'll need it…" His head dipped for a moment before looking back into her eyes. "I know I'll need you…"

"Naruto-kun," Hinata whispered breathlessly. Her cheeks were on fire and her eyesight was going. This was too much. Did he have any idea what he was doing to her?

"Promise me, please." Naruto said as his other hand squeezed hers.

The conversation paused for a moment but neither one of them moved. Each afraid to end the moment and too embarrassed to know what to say afterwards. In her timidity, Hinata's head shift ever-so-slightly up and caught the moonlight on her face.

Naruto stopped breathing.

The moon revealed her porcelain skin tinged with blush. Her midnight hair shone with radiance like silk as it swayed slowly around her. And her eyes. God her eyes came alive under moon. The lavender orbs Naruto had come to love sparkled with such purity he couldn't start to breathe again if he wanted to. There was only one thought he could ever hope to process in that moment there with her.

"God you're beautiful."

They both blinked—surprise and shock quickly spreading across both of their faces.

"_Shit, did I just say that out loud?!"_ Naruto panicked as he brought both of his hands back to his lap in an instant.

"N-N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata said woozily as she held her furious cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry!" Naruto said quickly looking away.

"D-Do y-y-you really think th-that?" Hinata asked her voice just above a whisper as she struggled to remain conscious. She slumped to the side and was forced to support herself with her arms.

"Of course," Naruto said just as quietly, his own face now on fire. "I've thought that ever since I got back to the village…I just never realized it."

Hinata felt a rush overtake her body and suddenly she wasn't about to faint. Suddenly, she was viewing the conversation and the world around them in a much sharper clarity.

"You a-asked me t-to be strong and n-never stop b-believing in y-you." Hinata said as she shifted towards the blonde. The movement caught his attention and he turned to look at her. "B-But you should r-realize by now that y-you don't have t-to ask that of m-me…because I'll a-always believe in you." Closing the distance to mere inches Hinata looked up at Naruto with the most sincerity she could must. "Because I love you, Naruto-kun."

She moved in and wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly against her and trying with all her strength to pass on the love she felt inside for him.

Naruto hesitated, only briefly though, before returning the hug. He couldn't deny it any longer; he'd been fighting it for too long. It was eating away at him on the inside and the weight was threatening to crush him. He shouldn't do it. He shouldn't say it. But his actions were no longer his own.

Shifting his head slightly he murmured into her ear, "I love you too, Hinata-chan."

She froze in his grip. He actually felt her stop breathing. Then slowly she leaned away from Naruto and stared up at him wide eyed.

"N-Naruto-kun…l-loves…me?"

Naruto's throat closed and he felt his teeth clench painfully together. This was wrong. He swore he'd protect her, that'd he keep her out of harm's way, but this was the opposite. He was putting an even bigger target on her back. Yet at the same time he didn't care. Maybe he was right, maybe tonight he was being selfish.

"Yeah," Naruto whispered with a small smile. Moving forward he closed his eyes. "I love you too, Hime."

Their lips met in the middle and the only thing Naruto could think about was the jolt of sensation across his. They were so soft, so warm, and felt so damn good! His arms moved, one slinking around her waist while the other cupped her cheek. His thumb moved to caress her skin while his mind memorized every detail about her lips, tasting sweeter than anything he could've ever imagined. They're heated breath mixed, spiraling together and then teasing one another with its passion-filled fingers tips.

How long they stayed like that Naruto didn't know, but when they finally pulled apart the reaction on her face was priceless.

"Are you okay?" Naruto asked with a soft chuckle.

"You kissed me just like you always did in my dreams…" Hinata said with a faraway look.

"Ah…" Naruto said slightly embarrassed, how were you supposed to respond to that?

"When I was thirteen." Hinata finished as her face suddenly deadpanned and looked…irritated? Offended even? "A-As you can see, I'm not thirteen anymore."

Before Naruto could say anything Hinata reclaimed his lips, but this time her kiss was much different.

She pressed against him roughly working her jaw, every now and then sucking on his lower lip eliciting a soft pop every time she did so. Her hands ran up his chest feeling every inch of power hidden behind his tightly coiled muscles until they finally tangled themselves in his hair. Then, tugging his head forward she deepened the kiss even more.

"I won't…be denied…anymore…" She said between each kiss. The fire had ignited inside of her. They were finally alone and she'd be damned if anyone stopped them now. She may have been inexperienced, clumsy, and nervous but she read enough of her secret collection of romance novels to know what to do.

Naruto—who'd been shocked into autopilot—switched to overdrive when he heard her words. A low growl rumbled in his chest before his hands made their way to Hinata's waist, resting on her hips. He felt her body shudder in delight under his touch: the thin silk of the kimono doing little to hide the goose bumps that appeared from her excitement. After a few more minutes of intense kissing, Naruto allowed his hands to slowly wander. If he had any worries about Hinata being uncomfortable with what he was doing they were thrown to the wind as she increased her mouthy ministrations in anticipation.

Slowly dragging his fingertips along her skin, Naruto stopped when his hands finally made it to Hinata's ass. Relishing in the way her supple body felt to the touch, he was forced to bite back a groan when a rush of desire overcame him. He couldn't, however, bite back his arousal which was growing at an alarming rate.

"Hin-Hinata." Naruto panted out in a weak warning.

"Naruto-kun…" Hinata moaned into his mouth, either not understanding or not caring. She even used the opportunity to sneak her tongue into his mouth and set off another frenzy of lustful passion as they grappled with the new sensation and each other. The vibration against his lips made his mind spin and her tongue wrapping around his left him in such a drunken state he lost control. And in that lapse of control Naruto's hands gave Hinata's cheeks a firm squeeze.

Her head shot back and moan of pure pleasure escaped her throat. Her kimono parted and her black laced cleavage fell into Naruto's face. On instinct, Naruto firmly gripped her ass and pulled, forcing her to straddle him and fall forward at the same time.

Hinata let out breathless gasp when Naruto pulled her on top of him before letting out another drawn out moan as he began to pepper her neck and breasts with kisses. So much was happening. It was terrifying and exciting and every second brought a new sensation she absolutely relished. She could already feel herself soaking through her new pair of underwear she'd just changed, and the desire coursing through her begged for release. It didn't help she was pressed up against "little Naruto," which pleasantly wasn't very little at all. If things continued on the way they were…

Her thoughts were interrupted when Naruto kissed her throat and let out a groan. Pulling her ass towards him, he ground his erection against her causing her to shudder and buck when the new sensation teased her dripping sex. Her lips crashed back into his in desperate need, her tongue seeking out and caressing his in heated passion and throwing them both off balance.

They fell back, Naruto landing on his back with Hinata on top of him, lips still locked and tongues dancing between heated breaths. Her hands tangled through his blonde locks and his own groped her rear, guiding her hips into his. It was getting impossibly hard for her to breath. Each time her hips rubbed against his she felt the knot tighten a little more. The fervor increased with every contact, getting closer and closer to the edge. This teasing. This indirect petting. This light grinding she caressed against her sensitive lips was what she had sought after for over a month. Her dreams, her own experiments, nothing compared to what he was capable of doing right now—and they weren't even doing that much! But she could feel it through their clothes, his hard member teasing her wet folds, splitting them ever so slightly and massaging her tender little bundle. It was all pushing her towards a lust-filled insanity and she had a first class ticket on the crazy train to get there.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes snapped open when he felt Hinata's presence leave him. Eyes adjusting to the sudden brightness, they quickly came into focus and on the giant fox sitting under a willow tree. Crimson slits met ringed azure and the two stared at each other wordlessly, the forest around them even growing quiet.<p>

Kurama narrowed his eyes and Naruto did the same.

A low growl escaped the fox and Naruto folded his arms.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and Kurama shook his head and snorted.

Kurama turned his back to Naruto and lay down; Naruto turned his back to the fox and began to walk away.

Neither one of them knew of the smirk the other had across their faces.

* * *

><p>Naruto returned to the outside world only to hear a moan escape Hinata as she shuddered and bucked on top of him. Putting his silent conversation away, Naruto turned his attention back to the Hyuuga heiress who was attempting to ride him through the floor. Deciding to end their fun, he figured what better way of saying I love you than to give her the big finish she wanted so badly.<p>

Naruto's hands went to work. First they grabbed Hinata's hips and brought them hard down on him. She gasped in shock and ecstasy as she was floored with an overwhelming rush of pleasure. Then, holding her tightly against him, he began to slide her up and down before stopping, grinding her hips in a few circles, and then repeating the process. It only took a few seconds for Hinata to catch on before she started to do it herself, allowing Naruto's hands to roam. One made its way back to her lithesome ass to give it a few loving squeezes before trailing his finger tips up her back, causing her to shiver and moan in more lustful revelry until he tangled his hand in her hair. His other hand then made its way across her stomach, teasing the sensitive spots along her waistline before making its way up and resting it lightly on her breast—gently kneading it while occasionally running a thumb over where her nipple would be.

By this point Hinata was no longer able to kiss him. Her eyes were squeezed shut in concentration and she had a death grip on his shoulders. Her breathing was hot and shallow and the occasional buck told Naruto she was close. Which was a good thing, since he realized the woman was starting to push him to the edge as well. It was time to end their fun.

"I love you Hinata," he whispered into her ear in a husky tone. Then giving her breast quick squeeze and a sharp but gentle yank of her hair, he began to kiss the nape of her neck—swirling his tongue around and humming in bliss against her skin.

The results were as he expected.

"Oh god…" Hinata wheezed out, before going rigid for a split second and then bucking wildly. "Oh god!" She said again louder, followed by moan after husky moan. Her eyes squeezed even tighter and her hands gripped his shoulders so hard he actually winced. She buried her face into the side of his head in a vain attempt to muffle her throes of orgasm filled passion. "Naruto-kun," she hissed rocking her entire body against his and riding out the waves of her climax.

Hinata continued on for a few more seconds before a long exhausted sigh escaped her and she collapsed on top of Naruto. They stayed like that, panting and gasping for breath, basking in the afterglow of their pseudo love making. The pond and shrine calm, quiet, and perfect creating blanket for the two lovers to shield themselves from the outside world.

Finally, when his breathing was back under control, Naruto cracked a grin and asked, "You ever plan on gettin' up?" When he got no response he cocked an eyebrow. "Hey, you didn't pass out on me did you?"

His only response was Hinata shaking her head no while still hiding her face from his.

"Are you okay Hime?"

She hesitated in responding to that question. How could she not be? The two of them had just done something so lewd, adult, and inside a shrine no less! She was embarrassed, beyond embarrassed, but at the same time she didn't care. But the emotions swirling around in her were so confusing and frustrating she couldn't help but feel tears in her eyes start to well up. She felt like a slut, dirty and tainted, but at the same time liberated and free!

"D-D-Do y-you r-r-really l-love me?" She asked in a near inaudible whisper.

Naruto kissed the top of her head and smiled. "More than anything in the world."

Sitting up slowly, Hinata ducked her head down and hid it in his chest. Letting out a soft chuckle, he propped his back against the same support beam and turned Hinata around gently until she was sitting against him. Once she was settled in, he wrapped his arms around her and held her in a gentle but strong and warm embrace. Together, they slowly watched the moon climb higher into the sky across the pond.

After a few minutes Hinata finally found her voice. "I-I don't want th-this night to end."

Naruto was silent nodded before saying, "Neither do I, but at the same time I do."

"W-What? Why?" Hinata asked.

"Because I'm excited to see where tomorrow takes us, Hime."

Hinata blushed. He hadn't said it in a suggestive way, but her mind took it that way. She was genuinely excited to see how their relationship would grow, but at the same time she wanted to know what else Naruto was capable of. Speaking of being capable, she realized a certain someone was still making their presence known against her back.

"U-Umm, N-N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata trailed off, not knowing how to continue. She settled for simply shifting her back against the not-so-offending object.

"I-I-I know," Naruto said quickly with an embarrassed laugh. "Please just ignore him."

"_H-Him_?" Hinata echoed and was forced to suppress a giggle.

"H-He has a mind of his own!" Naruto defended a little too quickly.

"S-So y-you're saying you d-don't find me a-attractive in th-that way." Hinata pouted mockingly while rubbing against him.

"Hina-chan…" Naruto whined.

They both laughed and then fell into a comfortable silence. After a time though, a small frown formed on Hinata's face.

"Naruto-kun, a-about what Jihibiki a-and Renge-sensei s-said…"

"I don't want to talk about it right now Hinata-chan." Naruto said as his face hardened a little. "I just want to focus on this right now…on us."

"I know," she said softly and brought her arms up and held onto his. "J-Just know th-that it doesn't m-matter to me. W-We'll get th-through this."

Silence fell between them for a few heartbeats before a small appreciative smile grew on Naruto's face. Nuzzling the back of her, he breathed in her scent and memorized it to heart.

"I love you, Hinata."

"I love you too, Naruto."

The two sat in silence again, the warmth they felt for each other radiating from them and permeating the air in a loving ambiance. This was perfection. This is what the two of them had longed to have but never could. But now they had it, and they'd be damned if they ever let it go.

Unfortunately, the world around them finally caught up, and they're peace was short lived when a cleared throat sounded from behind.

"I hate to be interrupting, Naruto." Neji said ominously as he stepped forward onto the pagoda, "But we have a situation on our hands."

"And what sort of situation is so important that you felt the need to interrupt us, nii-san?" Hinata asked with a slight frown.

"_Shit, shit, shit! How long was he there?!"_ Hinata panicked. _"Oh God, please tell me he wasn't here when we were doing _that_!_

"Sai is cooking again." Neji said flatly.

Hinata cocked her head. She didn't understand—why was that such a big deal? In the back of her mind though, a red flag began to wave. The type of warning that went off when they were about to walk into an ambush or something bad was about to happen. The kind of foreboding feeling she got when a fight to the death was imminent. Her fears were only confirmed when she felt Naruto go stiff.

Then, faster than Hinata thought was possible; Naruto threw her up in the air. By the time her feet hit the wood he was already at the tree line screaming at the top of his lungs.

"God dammit Neji!" Naruto yelled in a mix of irritation and horror. "Why did you let him into the kitchen?!"

"It's not my fault! I was distra—er—preoccupied with Karin-chan!" Neji shot back before noticing the odd shape in Naruto's pants. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING TO ME COUSIN?!"

"The same thing you were doing to mine!" Naruto replied flippantly.

Breaking through the tree line, Naruto's fears were only confirmed with he saw thin wisps of smoke slipping out from the windows and underneath the door.

"No!" Naruto cried. "No, no, no, no!"

He repeated the word over and over as he rushed across the yard and up the deck, as if some secret black arts ritual of chanting the negatory response would reverse reality. Slamming the door open, Naruto was once again met with a wall of blinding black smoke. "SAI, STOP!"

An unearthly wail filled the house and turned the blood of those who were present to ice, followed by the insane cackle of the newly minted Uzumaki himself.

"It's _aliiiiiiiiiiiiive_!"

**Frankenslime is back from the dead! Couldn't resist folks, I've had that ending planned out for some time now I just didn't know where to put it. So the truth is finally revealed about what happened on the day Uzushio fell. Granted, it's my own version of how it fell since not much is known about it. But now something else has been revealed! Something so shocking and impossible Naruto doesn't even know how to react! Not to mention Naruto and Hinata are a thing now!**

**So how is Jihibiki still alive after using the Shiki Fujin?**

**What did he tell the group that left Naruto in such a tormented state?  
><strong>

**How will Naruto and Hinata plan to get through it?!**

**Find out next time on Our Ninja Way!**


	38. Zero Hour

**A/N: Hello all, back from my mini break and what do I have to show for it? This new shiny chapter that pushes 10k! I'm sure some of you are mad at me taking so long, I understand. But please try to understand that I've been building to this point for most of the story—I wanted to get it right the first time. So, hopefully, I did and this chapter leaves you on the edge of your seat demanding for more via threats in the form of reviews and PM's! Now the only problem is I'm stepping away from this story for the month of November. I'm in the NaNoWriMo competition and will be focusing on my original novel. However, I didn't just plan to leave you hanging. I have another chapter I will post a week or two after this one just to keep the flow going. I plan to have this as a three chapter mini arc, so without further adieu I give you the first chapter! **

**So Far…**Naruto and Hinata finally did it!...sorta. Renge and Jihibiki reveal what really happened during the fall of Uzu. Madara was behind the attack and used the power of the Rinnegan to bring about the destruction of Whirlpool Country. Jihibiki then revealed how he actually died that day, and it was only because of Renge that he was there now. After revealing how he was still alive, Naruto left them to think about everything. During that time Hinata appeared and through talking to her, finally confessed that he loved her.

**Chapter 37: Zero Hour  
><strong>

Her eyes opened before the alarm even sounded. Sliding a hand to the side she felt the warm empty space next to her, he hadn't gotten up too long ago. Reaching over, she turned the alarm off and lay there for a moment trying to calm her mind. It had been racing all night, and she barely got five hours of sleep. So much for getting plenty of rest before the big day.

Sakura rolled to a sitting position and stood, allowing the sheet to cascade off her naked body and settle onto the floor at her feet. Raising her arms above her head she stretched and then winced when a slight jolt of pain shot between her legs. Three times. She and Sasuke had made love three times last night before finally falling asleep. Not an animal fueled, hormonally driven hunger but a slow, passionate, savoring pace. It could very well be the last time the two would ever hold each other.

No, that wasn't right. It could be the last time _she_ ever held _him._ She knew what she had to do when they returned; she just prayed she wouldn't have to watch the man she loved be cut down in the process.

Making her way to the bathroom, she saw the door was cracked open and the shower was running. Their typical morning routine. Sasuke would wake before her and take care of his bathroom needs since he took a shorter time. Impertinence, it was the one thing she couldn't break since she arrived a month ago but that was okay. It was reassuring to know that underneath the power before her was the boy she grown with and had come to love.

She stepped through the door and shut it behind her softly. The steam felt good on her skin and a wave of goose bumps rippled across her as the warmth spread. Looking through the steam she saw Sasuke with his back to her rinsing his hair out, the water glistening and accented by his muscles. Closing the distance between them, Sakura pressed herself against his body and kissed between his shoulders—holding and relishing in the warmth that spread through her. Breaking it off, she rested her head on against his back while he finished rinsing.

She was going home today, and whatever occurred afterwards depended solely on Sasuke. He could die if things went wrong. And if anyone would be at fault it would be her.

Her grip tightened around Sasuke and she bit her lip. How could she live with herself if he died? She would be responsible for the death of the one she loved. After finally achieving what she wanted for so long she could lose it all because she failed him. A fear reached up and wrapped around her heart that she hadn't felt since she was little—the fear of being alone.

Pulling away slightly, Sakura allowed Sasuke to turn around and look at her. A blush rose in her cheeks, she still felt a little awkward being naked in front of him but she loved how he always stopped what he was doing to drink her in.

"Have you decided what to do?" She asked softly.

Two days ago she had asked him to reconsider attacking Konoha. She hadn't asked him for an immediate response, she wanted him to think about it carefully. Last night when they had taken a break from their love making she had asked him again. His response was to look away. She could tell he was tormented by her request, but she had to know. Lives were depending on his answer.

Sasuke stared at her silently before stepping in and kissing her. "I don't know," he said when he finally broke away. He stared at her and allowed the hot water to beat across his skin. "I won't know until I see it again."

"I understand." Sakura said quietly.

"Do you still love me?" Sasuke asked in a whisper, his voice nearly drowned out by the running water.

"Always." Sakura said looking up at him, tears in her eyes.

They kissed and then made love one last time, not stopping until the hot water was nearly out.

* * *

><p>Naruto glanced at the time and let out a nervous sigh.<p>

It was time to go get her.

"You comin' Sai?" Naruto called from the door.

A moment later Sai appeared around the corner and gave a nod, and the two struck out. They made great time getting from the house to the village making their walk silent and uncomfortably short. Naruto wasn't sure if it was because they were actually close or if they were just nervous, but before he knew it his feet left the stone path and hit the packed dirt of the village road. Neither of the spoke—each consumed with their own thoughts and objectives of the inevitable night ahead of them.

Naruto looked over when he felt Sai bump his arm. "See you back at the house," Sai said and split off from the main towards the Embassy Hotel. Naruto watched him go silently for moment and then started to walk again.

The street vendors were in the process of setting up for the festival and threw the whole street into chaos. Realizing he was going to be late if he tried to weave his way through the crowds he took to the rooftops. The noise faded away and was replaced by the rushing of wind as Naruto jumped, hopped, and ran across the top of the village. He went faster, and the wind became a dull roar. He closed his eyes for a moment and remembered back to when he'd just made genin and first started to go by rooftop to get around the village. Life was simpler then, he didn't have these kinds of responsibilities he had now. Lives depended on his every command. What happened to the days where his biggest concern was getting a mission higher than a D rank?

"Naruto?"

Naruto's eyes snapped open and his feet shot forward. Planting them on the side of a water tower he shot back the way he came changing directions almost instantly. Landing gracefully a few rooftops away, Naruto found the owner of the voice to be Neji.

"Neji," Naruto said nodding towards the stunned Hyuuga. "On your way to pick up Karin-chan I take it?"

Neji recovered and gave a stiff nod. "On your way to pick up Hinata-sama," he guessed.

Naruto gave a smirk and a nod. "I'll see you back at the house then Neji," he said and turned to leave.

"Naruto a word of advice," Neji said stopping Naruto and causing the blonde to look at him confused. "Slow down."

Neji smirked and leapt away leaving Naruto standing on the rooftop confused. He didn't understand what Neji was getting at until he turned around and realized the Hyuuga complex was only one block over.

"_Shit, I didn't even know I'd been moving that fast!"_ Naruto thought. _"More importantly, how did I not run into anything?"_

"**Maybe someone's a little nervous for their date?"** Kurama asked with a grin.

Naruto stood quietly for a moment and felt a sensation buildup in him. It started in his gut and quickly filled until it was at his neck and threatened to make it impossible to breathe. Shaking his head and tilting it up to the sun, he took a deep steady breath and allowed a cool breeze to caress his skin.

"I think we both know what I'm nervous about." Naruto said quietly.

Opening his eyes he shook out his body and jumped to the ground. The crowd had thinned out this far away from the main street so Naruto decided to finish the last block on foot. When he arrived he was greeted by the standard guards but this time the snapped a respectful bow.

"Uzumaki-dono," one of them greeted. "We've been expecting you."

"Guys how many times do I have to tell ya?" Naruto said giving a friendly smile and waving them off.

"Force of habit." The other one said with a smirk. "Hinata-sama is waiting for you at the main house."

Naruto nodded and moved through but was stopped when the first guard put a hand on his shoulder. Naruto had to scream at every muscle, telling them to stop from breaking the man's wrist and crushing his throat.

"A word of caution," the guard said lowly so only the three of them could hear.

"Slow down?" Naruto guessed only to receive a confused look. Chuckling to his own joke he motioned for the man to continue.

"Be mindful of Hiashi-sama. He seems a bit…tense today."

Naruto grinned and looked at the two men mischievously. "Wouldn't you be too if both your daughters were going on dates with the two biggest trouble makers in the village?"

The guards laughed and waved him on. "Consider yourself warned!"

"You have my thanks!" Naruto called out and continued on through the compound.

A breath of relief escaped Naruto as he put distance between himself and the guards. Rather, it would have escaped him if he hadn't just walked into the proverbial serpents nest. There was heaviness to the air, a tension that nearly bogged him down as he moved forward. And this time he knew he wasn't imagining it.

This was the powder keg that was set to blow tonight.

He felt like every person on the estate was watching him, and it probably wasn't too far of stretch to say it was true. He was stupid for coming alone, but this was part of the charade and he'd be damned if he blew the entire mission because he was feeling a little vulnerable.

"**You need to get laid." **

"_What?"_ Naruto asked nearly tripping.

"**The anticipation, it's suffocating! You're way too stressed out. This is why they tell shinobi to cut loose before big missions. If they don't then they end up like you—someone who'll take off a man's hand just for extending some friendly advice about an overprotective father."**

"_Seriously, now is not the time Kurama." _

Any further conversation was cut short when the door to the main house opened before Naruto even reached the step. Walking out in his standard robes, Hiashi watched Naruto impassively as the blonde closed the last bit of distance.

"Hiashi." Naruto said with a stiff incline of the head. It was the closest he'd ever come to bowing to the man.

"Naruto." Hiashi said evenly. The two stared at each other silently for a long time, and just when Naruto was about to cave and speak Hiashi beat him to it. "I'm in no position to lecture you on being respectful to my daughter and to not try anything funny, so I won't." Hiashi said and then reached into the sleeve of his robe.

For half a second, Naruto entertained the idea of the man pulling out a kunai and holding it to his throat. Instead, he pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Naruto wordlessly. Opening it, Naruto saw an outrageously large number written cleanly across it.

"What is this?" Naruto asked looking at Hiashi.

"The amount of money Hinata spent from the clan funds to prepare for this evening." Hiashi replied without the faintest trace of pain in his voice. "Hurt her, and you'll be paying it back."

Naruto paled and dread filled him as his eyes shot back down to the paper. That couldn't be possible, could it? There's no way anyone could spend _that_ much money on just one night. The amount written on the paper had to be the price of one—maybe even two—S ranked missions!

"Hinata is busy preparing her sister for her date. I'll tell her you've arrived." Hiashi said—a ghost of a smirk on his face as he turned away and went inside. "Have a good evening."

Naruto's eyes returned to the tiny slip of paper that stared up at him mockingly. Finally, after several seconds of silence in which Naruto gauged whether he really loved Hinata as much as he thought he did, he folded the paper and put in his pocket.

"Well played, Hiashi," Naruto said as he walked into the mansion. "Well played."

Naruto didn't have to wait long. In fact, he'd just walked into the rather large and luxurious living room when Hinata appeared from a hallway. They made eye contact and Hinata looked down blushing. She wore a plain, green yukata with black pants and her hair was up in a pony tail. It bobbed back and forth as she closed the last bit of distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. When she looked up Naruto moved to kiss her and then stopped a few inches away from her—eyes going wide.

Was he allowed to openly kiss her now? God, he hadn't even thought about it. What if he was going too fast? Neji's words echoed in his mind and he felt his face quickly start to burn up.

Sensing his internal dilemma, Hinata gave him a chaste kiss and pulled away with a darker blush and a small smile. The amount of relief Naruto felt could probably sent him floating away if he hadn't been anchored down by Hinata's grip.

"What the hell?!" A voice cried out and Naruto's eyes nearly bugged out as he looked around Hinata to see Hanabi standing there with an angry pout in her face.

It was evident that these girls were definitely going all out. Her hair was done up in a bun like he'd seen Mito wear in her picture and she wore a red silk kimono with yellow borders. Her lips painted red in the center in the shape of a heart and a golden-red bronzer on her eyes left even Naruto slightly stunned. Konohamaru was in trouble.

Hanabi glared at her older sister and her cheeks puffed slightly. "You never told me about this!"

Hinata blushed and tried to shush her sister. "I-It just h-h-happened last n-night Hanabi, I swear!"

"Four hours together and it never came up once?" Hanabi countered.

"I was m-more focused on you." Hinata said.

"I highly doubt that." Hanabi said crossing her arms. Then her eyes widened as an idea struck her. "Oh my god! You guys were drunk last night, did you do it?!"

"W-What?!" Naruto asked blushing intensely as memories of Hinata on top of him resurfaced. Rubbing the back of his head and looking away he said, "What's your sister's deal, Hinata?"

Hinata was so red it nearly matched her sister's outfit, but the glare she was leveling at Hanabi made it impossible to determine whether it was out of embarrassment or anger. "She does this to get a rise out of people." Hinata answered. Then pointing at Hanabi she said lowly, "If you don't want Father to find out about what you and Konohamaru were doing last night I suggest you drop the idea!"

It was Hanabi's turn to go red and with a yelp she turned and ran from the room. Taking a deep breath, Hinata turned and gave Naruto a smile that nearly made him forget about the dirty threat she'd just made to her sister.

"I'll j-just be a minute to g-gather my things together and ch-change Naruto-kun." Hinata said and, with a hesitant blush, gave him a peck on the cheek.

"What? What's wrong with what you're wearing?" Naruto asked in confusion. He liked what she was wearing; it was nice to see her wear something other than her typical ninja outfit.

"Oh N-Naruto-kun, you r-really don't know a-anything about women do you?" Hinata giggled and then turned and left, putting a little extra sway into her hips.

It wasn't until Hinata had left the room and was no longer distracting him with those tantalizing hips of hers that Naruto snapped out of his stupor. Suddenly feeling an intense weight on his side attempting to drag him down, Naruto's hand found its way back into his pocket where the slip of paper resided.

"I know one thing about women," Naruto said quietly and then shuddered. He thumbed the paper absentmindedly, "They're expensive."

* * *

><p>"Shino-kun, why exactly are we going to Naruto-san's house to get ready?" Tamamushi asked as the pair walked at a slightly faster pace than what was usual for Shino.<p>

"Because Naruto is a very dear friend of mine." Shino said as they walked hand in hand. It wasn't often that he showed such open displays of affection and Tamamushi was happily taking advantage of it.

"I know that," Tamamushi said grabbing his arm with her free arm, "I just don't understand why we're not getting ready here and then meeting at his place."

Because there's an important mission I have to brief for at his house. Because the potential fate of the world rests on my shoulders. Because in order to pull this plan off I have to risk you in a façade of normality. Because…

Shino stopped walking and Tamamushi looked up with a worried expression. She could tell he was tense—his hive had been humming all day in uncomfortable anticipation. Something was bothering him and like all Aburame men he was closed up tighter than the Konoha vault.

Reaching up slowly, Shino removed his sunglasses revealing faint pink eyes underneath. Tamamushi stared with her mouth slightly open, she'd never seen him remove his sun glasses as long as she could remember. And it was obvious why—he squinted uncomfortably even though the sun had started to set, his sensitive eyes barely putting up with the harsh sunlight. Nobody knew why, something to do with genetics, but only the men were born with it and the reason why all of them were forced to wear sunglasses of some kind.

But standing there staring at him, Tamamushi realized she had never seen more beautiful eyes. Her normally excited personality calmed and she felt a blush start to burn its way across her cheeks.

"Tama-chan…Hotaru," Shino said softly causing Tamamushi's blush to darken, "tonight is very important—not just to me but the comrades I've come to call brothers over this past month." Squeezing her hand firmly but gently he said even softer, "Please do not leave my side tonight."

"Sh-Shino-kun…" Tamamushi stared at Shino, unable to figure out where this side of him was coming from.

"Promise me." Shino said.

"I…I promise Shino-kun."

Slipping his sunglasses back, Shino turned and walked away with her hand still in his. "Let's hurry; it would be rude to arrive late."

Tamamushi followed along in shock, amazed at how the man could so easily switch personalities. Slowly her shock gave way to humor and a giggle escaped her lips as she held on to him a little closer.

It was okay if he wanted to act like that, so long as she was the only one who got to see that side of him.

* * *

><p>Temari sighed as she walked down the hallway leading to Shikamaru's room. Knowing him the lazy slacker probably hadn't even rolled out of bed—let alone be changed and ready to go. He'd locked himself in his room all day and when she tried to force her way in earlier she'd gotten a very gruff response telling her to leave. Not the pleading slacker tone he normally used, but a busy annoyed tone that left no room for arguments she'd never heard before. She'd been so shocked she'd left without a word, but now she wasn't going to put up with it.<p>

Arriving at his door she pounded on it harshly and yelled, "Shikamaru, you better be dressed and ready to go!"

To her shock, the door slid open when she tried to open it. Entering the room cautiously, Temari found it to be empty apart from the lingering smell of—was that vanilla? Giving another sniff, she followed the smell and realized it was actually coming from outside the room. Shikamaru's room was divided by a half wall, separating his sleeping area and his study/lounge area. Walking past the half wall, Temari saw the door leading to the veranda around the edge of the Nara's house was open and Shikamaru was sitting on the edge of the porch.

Hunched over with his elbows on his legs, a thin wisp of smoke curled up around his head and then wafted towards the open door Temari now stood in. There was a slight stink of tobacco, but something else too. It wasn't until she caught an actual puff of the smoke and she felt her head go slightly dizzy that she knew. Her eyes widened and then formed into a slight scowl.

"You better have a damn good excuse for why you're doing that before our date." Temari said folding her arms.

Shikamaru took a long drag of his pipe and said nothing, not even acknowledging that he heard her. Just as she was about to speak he breathed a large cloud out and watched it float away, slowly dissipating in the air.

"Are you disgusted now that you know?" Shikamaru asked quietly.

"W-What?" Temari asked momentarily forgetting her anger.

Shikamaru took another drag and blew a smoke ring. "We tried so hard to get Asuma-sensei to stop smoking. We told him it stunk and was terrible for his health. We hated it when he smoked."

"Then why do you?" Temari asked tentatively. She had a feeling this situation was actually more delicate than what it appeared. This wasn't Shikamaru. Not the one she knew.

Shikamaru shrugged and then turned his pipe upside down and stamped it twice before wiping the debris into the grass. Putting the pipe in a plain wooden box, Shikamaru then sat back with his arms behind him and looked up at the clouds.

"I blame him really," Shikamaru said. "Ironic how I tried to get him to stop, but in the end he drove me to start."

"But…" Temari hesitated, struggling to word the rest of her question.

"Why the opium?" Shikamaru finished for her. Despite having his back to her she nodded. "The answer to that question can be summed up in one number: 60,000."

"60,000?" Temari asked. Maybe Shikamaru had really lost it.

"It's the number of thoughts an average person has per day." Shikamaru explained.

"That's exhausting just thinking about it," Temari admitted.

"Really? Because it sounds like heaven to me." Shikamaru said.

"What do you mean?"

"An _average_ person has 60,000 thoughts a day. While I loathe admitting it, I have an I.Q. over 200." Temari's eyes widened at the confession. Loosening a board next to him, he slid the box in and then stood up, stretched, and then spit a wad of juice from his mouth which sizzled away when it hit the ground. Turning to her, he said with a surprisingly sober face, "I'll tell you right now, the number doesn't double for me—it increases exponentially. My father is the same way, and if you were to search his room you'd find a similar box too."

"Why are you telling me this?" Temari asked.

"Because my mom would kill my dad if she found out about him smoking the stuff. In fact, before she had me she nearly did when she caught him once." Shrugging his shoulders he gave a sigh. "I love my mom and she's a brilliant woman, but she doesn't really understand what my dad and I deal with on a daily basis. I guess I'd just want my wife to know if…when I was married. That it's because it's the only way I find some sort of relief."

Temari felt her cheeks burn at Shikamaru's innuendo. Before she could give any snappy retort though, he snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her in for a searing kiss. He didn't stink like she thought he would. She figured he'd smell of tobacco and taste like an ashtray, but instead there was only the faintest hint of vanilla and his kiss almost tasted sweet. When the kiss ended he wrapped her in a strong hug and held as close as he could.

"Just for tonight," Shikamaru murmured into her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "Please don't be troublesome. Do this for me and I promise I'll never ask anything of you again."

Finally pulling away Shikamaru gazed at her with what she could only describe as pure adoration. Room spinning and head tingling, Temari stared back completely enamored by the man in front of her.

"Let's get going," Shikamaru said grabbing a scroll and stuffing it into his pocket, "don't want to be late."

* * *

><p>When Sai arrived at Samui's hotel room he expected many things. He expected the suspicious looks from the ninja of the visiting villages. He expected her teammates to be upset—pissed even about her being escorted by a long time enemy. What he didn't expect, however, was for the situation that was taking place now.<p>

So there he stood, frozen in front of Samui's door, arm raised to knock, and listening very intently to the conversation going on in the room.

"Look all we're saying is that you should be more careful. These guys were our enemies a little over a month ago."

The red headed teammate said that. Karui wasn't it?

"Not to mention political mess that could happen if you fall in love with him." Samui's other teammate, the white haired male, Omoi. "What if you fall in love, but our villages forbid it? Then you two will be forced to keep your affair a secret, visiting each other during extended missions. The pressure to keep it a secret gets to both of you and you slip up and then you get pregnant. When the villages find out there'll be bloodshed over who gets the child and—"

A loud crash signaled the possible end of Omoi's existence.

"I just _met_ him and you're already spouting out nonsense about me _sleeping_ with him?!" Samui said.

"You talk in your sleep," Karui replied dryly, "we've heard some things. Not to mention you didn't get back until early this morning covered in smoke and soot. God only knows what you've been up to!"

"Sh-Shut up!" Samui said and Sai could swear he could feel the heat from her blush even from out in the hallway. Or maybe it was his? Him blushing over a woman? Now that was definitely something new.

"It's cute to see my student gettin' worked up over a man. Even if this love is something that would normally be ban!"

Sai's face screwed up as if he'd just eaten the sourest lemon ever. Was that on purpose? Surely it couldn't have been. He may be lacking in some areas but even he could tell it was a complete butchery of the language.

"But the thing is our villages are now a team, so it doesn't matter which milk man she goes to get her cream!"

"_Oh my god this is for real…"_ Sai thought horrified.

"S-S-Sensei!" Samui screamed as Karui and Omoi broke into laughter.

Karui spoke when they finally managed to stop laughing, "But sensei, don't you think you're being a little too willing to let go of everything that's happened between the villages?"

There was silence for a beat before the voice sang, "It's that kind of thinking that continues this circle of hate. Instead of lookin' down on this alliance you should learn to appreciate. Fools, ya fools."

"Seriously though sensei, the odds of this alliance lasting are slim to none. It would be foolish to put so much trust in these other villages," said Omoi.

Silence again, but this time Sai could tell the pause had a more disappointed edge to it.

"Have ya learned nothin' under me? This hatred and mistrust is a cycle ya see? War is an experience ya haven't endured. That makes ya lucky, that's for sure! The grudges between the villages are from scars of old. Ya've seen none of that to make ya act so cold. This unease ya've been feelin' is a learned trait. Ya've got no reason to retaliate. It'd be _foolish_ not to see the opportunity at hand, to forge a lasting alliance between Mist, Cloud, Fire, Stone, and Sand. Fools, ya fools!"

Sai felt his eyebrows climb. Here was a man who had definitely seen war between their countries, and yet he was readily telling his students to let go of the past. A past they had no part in but he had. This was a man who shared similar beliefs to his brother, men the world needed more of. And here he was, about to gamble the life the man's student in a mission that balanced precariously on the edge of kunai.

Sai's stomach churned and a coldness began to crawl across his skin slowly consuming him. This was too much. The repercussions of failure were too great. This man could turn against them; threaten the delicate alliance their world needed so desperately if it was too survive the coming war. Not to mention he liked Samui, it felt wrong to use someone he felt attracted to.

Before Sai even realized what he was doing his hand found its way to the tattoo in his arm and sent a message to Naruto.

_Requesting permission to abort secondary objective._

Sai couldn't believe he'd sent it. Here he was giving up because he didn't want to put the girl he liked in harm's way when his teammates were doing the exact same thing. Naruto had _begged_ him to complete his mission; the very livelihood of the woman Naruto loved depended on him completing it!The pressure wasn't just on him and yet he'd caved at the first obstacle. Him! The one who was supposedly trained to feel nothing!

If Sai's weakness had shocked himself then Naruto's response damn near floored him.

_Reason?_

Reason? Not outright denial, but a reason for why Sai thought he couldn't go through with this. The man trusted and respected him enough to make the right call and here he was asking all because of his insecurities.

_Sai?_

The guilt tangled around him like a net and ripped him down, trying to drown him in the recesses of his heart. Didn't everyone else have a lot riding on this as well? He wasn't special; they had people they cared about in harm's way too.

_Sai, report!_

Shino was the heir to his clan, what would happen if he failed? Shino had no siblings. If something were to happen to him then his clan's hierarchy would be thrown into chaos. Shikamaru was the same way, except his escort was an emissary from Suna—the Kazekage's sister no less. And then there was Naruto. The woman he loved was at the very center of the conflict—a target in the planned coup and he was supposed to just parade her through the streets! No, he wasn't alone. They were all in this together.

Sai took a deep breath and centered himself.

_Disregard previous request._

…_Are you sure?_

Sai paused, his hand still resting on the tattoo. If his brother and teammates could do it then so could he.

_Affirmative. _

_Understood. See you at rendezvous. _

Sai returned his focus to the door in time to catch the Samui's sensei say, "This conversation is at its' end. Especially since behind the door is Samui's boyfriend!"

A pall silence hung in the air before there was a curse and hurried movement. The door swung open quickly revealing a blushing Samui as well as Karui and Omoi craning to see over her shoulders. Sai didn't really care he got caught eavesdropping, but that didn't stop the small amount of guilt from making its way onto his face. Samui recognized the look and her blush darkened even further.

"S-Sai-kun, I'm so sorry—"

"It's quite alright Samui-san." Sai said and noted the brief look of hurt when he didn't use –chan. "May I come in for a moment?"

Samui blinked at him and then gave a silent nod standing aside. Entering the room, he ignored Karui and Omoi and surveyed the room quickly until he found her sensei. Sitting on the end of one of the beds, the man's hulking dark-skinned figured watched him from behind a pair of sunglasses.

Giving a short bow, Sai said, "It is an honor to meet the legendary Killer B of Cloud. I've read multiple reports on your fights and I must admit I'm very impressed."

Killer B watched him for a moment before turning to Samui. "Who could have possibly knew? Your boyfriend is as pale as you!"

"Sensei!" Samui hissed shooting Sai an apologetic look.

Sai simply gave her a smile, "Yes I am, as my brother has reminded me of my complexion on multiple occasions." Turning to Killer B he dropped his smile. "My name is Sai, and while this is my first time meeting you I must admit I find your outlook on this world very admirable. I think you and my brother would get along quite well, especially considering your…condition."

Killer B frowned and tilted his head. "What makes you think I have a condition? My friend inside has more strength than a coalition, fool ya fool!"

"Perhaps the term 'status' would be better then?" Sai suggested with a smirk. "I'm sure it's been awhile since your friend has talked to any of his family."

Killer B's eyebrow quirked up. "You tellin' me, that your brother is a jinchuriki?"

Sai nodded, "Number nine to be exact." Glancing at the surprised look of Samui he gave her a smile. "Do you have everything together? We need to leave so we aren't late."

Samui waved her scroll around and then stuck it in her pocket. "I'm ready when you are."

Sai gave Killer B one last bow and said, "I will keep your student safe. You have my word as an Uzumaki, and an Uzumaki never goes back on their word. Please enjoy the festival tonight."

Offering up his arm, Samui took it and the left the room leaving her teammates to gape after them.

After a minute Killer B let out a laugh and stood up. "This night just got a whole lot more interesting! I think it's time I go out and start sampling!"

"Uh…sensei?" Karui asked pointing out the door. "What about Samui?"

"Samui is in the hands of a Konoha elite. Being able to take him down would be no small feat!"

"That pasty guy is Anbu?" Omoi asked shocked.

"Nah, Anbu is nothing compared to what I see. That boy is member of the legendary Uzumaki! Fools, ya fools!"

"I don't understand." Karui said in confusion.

"When do we ever?" Omoi asked with a defeated sigh as their sensei began to rap about his plans for the night.

* * *

><p>Samui couldn't get her blush to go away. It had been bad enough getting teased and lectured from her team, but when she'd found out Sai had been there the whole time she'd been mortified. Glancing at him for the umpteenth time in the past minute, her blush darkened even further. How did he have this effect on her? What was it about him that caused her to act so girly? She loathed when kunoichi acted like that, it gave them a bad reputation as a whole. Yet whenever his passive gaze fell on her and he smiled she couldn't help but feel her chest flutter and her breath catch. It was frustrating but at the same time enrapturing.<p>

"Is something on your mind, Samui-chan?" Sai asked.

"Ah!" Samui looked away, her ears starting to burn as well. "I'm sorry about what my team said. I tried to explain you could be trusted but they wouldn't have it."

"It's nothing to worry over." Sai said as their feet turned off the village road and returned to the stone pathway leading up to the Uzumaki estate. "To be perfectly honest, I don't blame them either."

"Really?" Samui asked turning back to him quickly.

"Of course," Sai said with a smile, "It only makes sense to hold suspicions towards allies who were only recently your enemy. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but what happens when that mutual enemy disappears? It's only natural for people of such different backgrounds to mistrust one another when a common enemy forces them to work together, and that mistrust isn't something that can so easily be replaced."

Samui frowned. "Are you saying you don't believe this alliance will last?"

"No," Sai said shaking his head. "As long as there are people out there like my brother and your sensei, people who come from different walks of lives and have endured different hardships, then there is hope that one day our world will achieve a lasting peace."

Samui was glad they had to stop at the gate, because Sai's comment made her halt regardless. Watching him with a sense of awe as he placed his hand on the seal of the gate and unlocked it, she stepped through slowly as he held it open for her. Sai—no this entire family—was unusual. How could these people have such an optimistic view of the future, especially with the war against the seemingly immortal Uchiha Madara?

"Are you okay?" Sai asked when he noticed Samui's vacant face.

Of course she wasn't. The things Sai was saying were too altruistic for any one person to actually believe in! This had to be some kind of front, a scheme to somehow infiltrate the Cloud's ranks. Maybe Karui had been right? Maybe Sai was trying to seduce her, even flip her. It hurt to think that way, especially after spending time with Sai and his "family" and seeing how they interacted.

"You're not real." Samui whispered as Sai led her down the path.

"I don't follow," Sai said watching her closely.

"Nobody is this perfect!" Samui said taking her arm away from Sai and looking at him with hurt suspicion. "What are you trying to gain from me?"

Sai turned to face her, they had just made it into the trees that surrounded the estate so their conversation was as private as it could possibly get. He watched her carefully and saw the distress; her inner turmoil bubbled out and displayed itself perfectly on her otherwise normally calm exterior. Sai glanced over his shoulder towards the house to make sure they were indeed alone and when he looked back his face slipped into his normal blank expression. The change was enough to put Samui on edge and he could see her shift ever so slightly into a better defensive position.

Staring at her for a moment longer Sai finally said, "It's understandable that you find it hard to believe this persona about me. In fact, I was wondering when you would eventually catch on and realize it was fake."

Samui stiffed and her position shifted even more. "Who are you?"

"My name is my own, Uzumaki Sai. But the person you have spent the past few times with, I'm afraid, is someone who isn't entirely real."

"Explain."

"Hmm, how to put this?" Sai said tapping his chin. "I lack emotion…or rather most emotions."

"That doesn't make any sense. I've seen you smile and laugh and show all sorts of emotions!" Samui said her mind spinning. "Nobody is emotionless."

"That's not necessarily true, Samui-chan." Sai said shaking his head slowly. "See where I was raised, the other children and I were brought up to have no emotions. We were to be mindless drones carrying out our master's word regardless of what it cost us."

"What kind of monster would do that to children?" Samui asked quietly.

"The organization is very infamous, I'm sure you've heard of us." Sai said approaching her slowly. "We were particularly effective in the Second Ninja War. Does Root ring a bell?"

Samui gasped and jumped back, instinctively reaching for her kunai and realizing she was unarmed. Tightening up her defensive stance she spat out, "What does Root want with me? I'll end my own life before I betray my village!"

Samui expected many reactions, but for Sai to look away and leave him so open to attack was not one of them. It caught so off guard she failed to even capitalize on the chance. "Root wants nothing to do with you, considering it was disbanded after the death of our leader."

"Then why are you telling me this?" Samui asked. She didn't know what to expect anymore, this whole day was just spiraling deeper and deeper into an ocean of confusion.

Sai looked up at her and a small smile spread across his lips despite his down cast expression. "Because I like you a lot, Samui-chan. I think you're beautiful and smart and fun to be around."

Samui's eyebrows knitted together and finally she put a hand to her head. "Sai…what are you trying to say?"

"I'm anything but perfect." Sai said taking a hesitant step towards her. "I don't really understand emotions that well, I miss innuendos all the time, and I'm still trying to grasp the concept of this 'sarcasm' everyone likes to use." Seeing she wasn't backing up Sai took a few more steps. "My new family is special. They're crazy, loud, and destructive, but at the same time they're honest, open, and forgiving. I'm still learning—from them, about them, and who I am really. My family is the only ones who can get any kind of reaction out of me. But if there was one other person out there, someone who could make me to blush, give a rush every time they touched me, make me worry about their wellbeing, then it would most certainly be you Samui-chan."

Samui's eyes narrowed as she looked at Sai, torn between believing him and calling it a bluff. If it was, then it was the most elaborate one to date. Then again if what Sai said about himself was true then it probably wasn't out of the realm of possibilities for a Root operative. She flinched hard when she felt him lightly touch his finger against hers, hesitating long enough for her to pull away if she wanted to before gently enclosing his hand around hers. This was a bad idea and she knew it. She shouldn't be getting so involved with another ninja from a different village. Then again, neither should he.

"Even if what you say is true," Samui said looking at Sai, "there are countless reasons for me not to trust you now." Her hands inadvertently squeezed his, her voice betrayed her sounding more like a plea than a demand and she hated herself for appearing so vulnerable. "Why should I trust you?"

"Trust is about give and take right?" Sai said matching the volume of her voice. "You were one of the first people to step foot onto the Uzumaki clan's grounds in nearly 17 years. You know the layout of our house. You know about my past and my connection to my brother who is now the clan head. You have a plethora of knowledge that could be used against us and the village. But I trust you…and because I do so does my family."

"So what?" Samui asked slowly. "You expect me to give away some secrets about my village too? Too give away some dark tidbit or layouts to vital buildings?"

"Nope!" Sai said with a surprisingly bright smile. "I expect you to accompany me on this date to the festival and have a good time!"

"I knew it! I'll—wha?!" Samui looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

Sai looked at Samui and his expression grew serious. "The man who gave me a second chance at life dreams of changing the world for the better. I will do everything within my power to support and help him achieve that goal. Even if that means leaving us vulnerable to someone we can't trust entirely just yet—if it's what it takes then so be it."

"Sai…" Did he realize what he was suggesting? It was effectively treason! Even with good intentions it didn't change what the consequences would be if he were caught.

"I know," Sai said seemingly reading her thoughts and giving her a sad smile. "I've been told that to be honest means to open up and allow yourself to be vulnerable. I want to be honest with you Samui-chan. I want you to trust me and I want to trust you." Giving her hand a squeeze and beginning to walk down the path he said, "So let's forget about villages, alliances, wars, and just have fun for tonight, okay?"

"O…Okay." Samui said softly. Her face was burning again but inside she could feel her heart tearing itself apart between wanting to believe him and guarding herself.

The rest of their walk was made in silence. While Samui tried to process everything she'd been told Sai was in the middle of his own internal war. He'd been honest with her, but he hadn't been completely honest. She still didn't know about tonight. How could he ask her to trust him when he couldn't even tell her about a situation which potentially put her in harm's way?

Sai ground his teeth and glanced at Samui. She was oblivious, completely captured in her own thoughts to notice his conflicted staring. She needed to know. But how could he tell her without jeopardizing the mission? A frustrated sigh escaped his lips and he ran a hand through his hair, Naruto was definitely rubbing off on him.

"Samui-chan, about tonight." Sai said knocking her out of her thoughts. "At some point…I'm going to have to leave you. When I do, I need you to leave as quickly as possible."

"Why?" Samui asked, her eyes narrowing. "What's happening?"

Sai shook his head. "Something big. I can't tell you what, but I can tell you that before it happens you need to get somewhere safe."

"Sai, you can't expect me to just—"

"But I am!" Sai said turning suddenly towards her and putting his hands on her shoulders. "I asking—_begging_—that you get somewhere safe when I leave, Samui-chan. I don't want anything to happen to you!"

"S-Sai…" Samui stuttered, blushing at the sudden genuine care. "Where should I go?"

Sai was quiet for a moment before saying, "Go to the Hokage. If anyone tries to stop you tell them it was a direct order from me—that should get you through. In fact, it would probably be best if you gathered your team up and all went together."

"My entire team?!" Samui asked.

Sai nodded, "I don't think anything will happen, but I want you to just as a precautionary."

It was a lie and it tasted terrible coming out of his mouth. Of course she was at risk, he wasn't stupid. What better way to shatter the alliance than by having some of the Hyuuga attack the Cloud shinobi? They might be able to explain how Madara was secretly behind it all, but if the attack were to happen then the brittle trust between the two villages would be shattered easily. Old wounds that never healed were such a bitch to take care of.

"I guess I really am in your care tonight, huh?" Samui said with a smirk as they continued their way to the house.

"Aw, why'd you have to make it sound like it's such a bad thing, Samui-chan?" Sai asked in a mock hurt tone earning a giggle for his antics.

* * *

><p>Naruto muttered an apology for the fifth time since leaving Hinata's house and let go of the citizen he nearly strangled and tried to dust them off. These crowded streets where completely destroying his nerves. Oh how he desperately wished he could use the Hirashin to get them back to his house instead of navigating the masses. He was going to need a long soak in the hot springs with a case of sake after this was all over. Glancing over at Hinata and seeing her eyebrows knitted together, he quickly placed a hand on her back and steered her quickly through the last bit of crowd.<p>

As soon as his feet hit the stone pathway Naruto nearly collapsed in exhaustion, but did his best to hide the weariness he was already feeling. If things were bad now then how the hell was he supposed to survive tonight? A tightness started to constrict his chest and creep up his throat again, threatening to choke him if he didn't calm down. Forcing himself to breathe, he looked at Hinata he could tell she was extremely worried about his current state.

Offering up his arm, she took it and said calmly, "Naruto-kun, are you alright? You seem a bit…tense."

Naruto blinked. He wasn't sure if he was more surprised at how easily she read him or the fact that she didn't stutter. The last time she did that she…

"You're not gonna faint on me are you?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"N-Naruto-kun I'm serious." Hinata said as her cheeks turned a faint pink. Naruto was silent as he led her up the path and the village noise slowly faded away behind them. When it became apparent that she wasn't going to answer him she looked down. "A-Are you u-upset w-w-with me?"

"What?" Naruto asked looking down at her bewildered.

"You're b-being very d-distant a-and q-q-quiet." Hinata said looking down. "D-Did I d-d-do something?"

Naruto glanced around him and then tugged on Hinata's arm gently causing her to bump into him. "Hey," he said as he shifted his grip and interlocked his hand with hers, "you haven't done anything wrong. I've just got a lot on my mind is all."

Hinata blushed darker from the close contact and looked at him, her lavender eyes carrying all the concern and worry she felt for him but never spoke. "Promise?"

"Promise," Naruto said with a smile.

Turning to his gate, he unlocked the seal and quickly ushered her inside. Grabbing her hand and pulling her down the path, Hinata didn't have a chance to say anything else. When they broke into the trees Naruto suddenly whirled around to face her with a serious expression, startling her so much she actually let out an 'eep.'

Allowing a quick smirk at how cute she sounded, it disappeared instantly when he spoke. "Before we go any further, there's something I need to tell you."

Hinata didn't know why but for some reason those words were like a cold stone in her stomach, forcing it to drop what felt like miles into an empty abyss.

"I love you Hinata-chan, I really do." Naruto said looking down for a split second with a blush. It still felt new to his tongue though he'd dreamt night after night of telling her those exact words. He wondered if it'd ever get easier, but before he could get lost in his musings he shook his head. "Getting involved with me now is a huge mistake though…for both of us."

"W-What do you mean?" Hinata said slowly. She couldn't hide the fear in her voice, and Naruto knew it wasn't because she was afraid of what he was warning her about.

"Madara and the remnants of the Akatsuki are after me, Hinata. They'll use whatever means they can to get to me…" Naruto looked away for a moment. "It makes you as much of a target as it does me."

"A-Are y-you s-s-saying we sh-should be t-together?"

There was no denying the hurt in her voice. And Naruto didn't even have to look to know there would be tears brimming in those lavender eyes.

It was a mistake to look at her; he knew that before he shifted his gaze. But when he actually met hers it nearly took the breath from him. Something as delicate and pure as her had no business looking so wounded and vulnerable. Yet there she stood, holding herself and trying to brace for the inevitable blow she thought was coming. What she didn't know was the blow was already being dealt to Naruto's own heart—and the longer she stood there hurt the deeper the wound went for him.

"Hey," Naruto said reaching up quickly and cupping her cheek. "Don't make such a sad face when I haven't finished talking."

"H-How can I n-not?" Hinata whispered as she closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek. She leaned into his hand and then into him. "I u-understand w-what you're saying. I j-just don't w-want to go b-back to before…"

"Neither do I." Naruto said as he wrapped her in a hug. "I admit this is a mistake. We're putting the entire world at risk if we stay together…" A chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head. "How romantic."

Hinata let out a mix between a giggle and a cough and pushed away from him wiping her eyes and sniffling. "I-I like r-romances…"

Naruto smiled but then slowly faded away, "Even tragic ones?"

Hinata bit her lip and looked away. She was torn between what she wanted and what was right. How long had she dreamed of Naruto finally acknowledging her, of walking side by side with him and calling him hers? Now he was suggesting they should act like nothing happened. For what? To keep her safe? To keep her from becoming a target so he wouldn't have to worry about her as much? Was he underestimating her?

"I've gotten stronger." Hinata said lowly, but her tone carried enough heat to give Naruto ample warning.

"I know," Naruto said softly as he lifted her chin and met her hurt eyes. "Which is why I'm saying if you're a mistake, then you're the one mistake I can't live without."

Hinata's eyes widened before they were forced shut from her smile and she threw her arms around his neck. Letting out a chuckle and pulling her closer, Naruto buried his nose in her hair and took in a steady breath of her scent.

"This will be hard," Naruto whispered in her ears.

"…I know," she said into his chest.

"Are you sure about this then?"

Hinata lifted her head and looked at him with dangerous determination. "Don't ever ask me that again!" She said, then reached up and claimed his lips with hers.

When she finally pulled away she was panting, from what Naruto wasn't sure, but if he had to guess it was probably the rush she felt since he was panting as well. Blushing crimson, she looked down and shifted back and forth still unused to being so bold with her actions. It was so cute Naruto nearly forgot about the last thing he needed to say.

"Before you kiss me again and make me completely forget," Naruto said with a blushing grin which caused Hinata to turn a shade darker. "I-I…I got—w-well 'made' would be more…um…more a-accurate I guess…" Fumbling around in his pocket, he pulled out something and placed it in her hand. "H-Here, this is for you."

Hinata stared at the object in her hand confused. Her face was glowing red but for once it wasn't because she was flustered or embarrassed. The reason was due to the glistening ruby in her hand that was actually glowing in the evening light. At first she thought it was a tomoe, but after carefully looking she noticed a small faint blue diamond set towards one end making it look like the Yin symbol. The gems were smooth as a river stone, yet they exploded with such a fiery brilliance it was as if they had hundreds of facets cut into them.

"N-N-Naruto th-this is…." Expensive! That's what it was; Hinata just couldn't find the words to finish it. Where did he get the money for something like this? How was it even possible to cut and polish a stone in such a way? Whoever did it must be a… "Y-You made this?!"

Hinata's head snapped up so fast Naruto thought it might break for a second. Scratching the back of his neck blushing he looked away. "D-Do you not like it? I tried almost a hundred times and it was the b-best I could manage w-with my chakra."

"Ch-Chakra?" Hinata asked looking back at the priceless stone in her hand.

"Y-Yeah," Naruto said looking back and pointing at the ruby. "It's a forbidden technique known only in the Uzumaki clan. We use our very life force and chakra to make a nearly indestructible diamond."

"Th-This is diamond?" Hinata asked wide-eyed. "Why's it red?"

"Kurama's chakra causes it to be red." Naruto said. "It actually reacts to me, kinda like a resonance beacon."

"Huh?"

"Watch," Naruto said disappearing. Hinata would have been more shocked at how fast he moved if the stone in her hand hadn't dimmed from a sunset red to a soft ember glow. "The closer I am, the brighter the red." Naruto said reappearing and once again the stone burst alive with color.

"Th-This is amazing, Naruto-kun." Hinata barely managed to say. But then her eyebrows knitted together at the one question she couldn't answer. "Wh-Why the Yin?"

Naruto grinned shyly and reached into his shirt, pulling out a Yang of bright sky blue diamond with a fiery red inset. "I-I siphoned off a little of your chakra when you were unconscious at my apartment. I trapped it in this piece so it glows a bright blue whenever it's close to you…"

Naruto trailed off when he saw the vacant expression on Hinata's face. In a sudden surge of panic Naruto started to wave his hands and shouted, "I-I'm sorry if that was going too far! It seemed like a good idea at the time I swear! It was all for this, nothing else—"

"Kiss me."

"What?" Naruto asked, this time it was his neck that nearly snapped.

"Kiss me." Hinata said again softly looking up at him. "If you don't, I'm going to faint."

And he did, his lips met hers in way he'd never imagined possible. The passion and love the woman in his arms managed to convey through such a simple gesture sent him reeling. Her tender yet barely contained desire ignited a fire in his veins and he pulled her closer, her body melding perfectly into his as their kiss deepened. Their tongues whirled in the briefest of dances and Naruto burned every aspect of her, every detail, into his memory. Relishing in the moment they shared, when they finally broke apart Naruto caressed her cheek slowly and allowed his eyes to drink in her beauty radiated by the setting sun.

"Don't ever leave me," Naruto murmured as he placed his head against hers.

"Never," Hinata said resting her hands on his chest and closing her eyes. "I promise."

Taking a small step back, Hinata turned and lifted up her hair allowing Naruto to attach the clasp of the black silk necklace. It nestled comfortably at the top of her cleavage and when she turned around Naruto smiled and picked it up delicately his fingers.

"Let's try and keep this a secret okay?" Naruto said with that small smile of his as he gently tucked it beneath her shirt. "Just until things clear up."

Hinata smiled and nodded before taking the arm offered to her. Resting her head on his shoulder, they resumed their journey his house.

She wasn't giving him up, no matter what it cost.


	39. SNAFU

**A/N: There's a long, windy, hear-felt note after this chapter and I'd very much appreciate it if you all took a look after you're done. I'm keeping it short up here for a brief recap of the entire story. **

****IMPORTANT****

**Due to the terribly long gap in updates I will be posting multiple chapters over the period of one week. That's right folks, I haven't been **_**completely**_** lazy in the time I've been away. Next chapter is done and will go up Friday, and again Monday. Gives you time to read and hopefully leave your thoughts! Right? Riiiiiight?**

**Hektols: **Glad to hear I managed to capture Bee's personality. It was a lot of fun coming up with those terrible rhymes. I wasn't sure if the Aburame's had normal eyes or not. I've never seen one without them so I tried a twist. The whole idea of Shikamaru and opium came from Sherlock. It's a known fact that he indulged in drugs as a way to dull his senses and find relief. It's true I could do something with an Uzumaki seal, but at the same time it's almost like surrendering one clan to the will of another. It leaves a possibility of something happening, ya know?

**Lerris:** Your review concerned me, and part of the reason the update took so long was because I did go back and reread my entire story. My conclusion—I'm happy with the direction it's taking. I'm sorry you feel that way, but everything is going as planned. Could it be condensed? Abso-fucking-lutely. This story is the length of three—THREE—standard published novels. It simple shows how much of an amateur I am and I accept that. Will it eventually be condensed, yes. One day when I finish this I'll go back rework it. Honestly I don't know why you people read this story to begin with, the first five chapters were literally painful to read. But I like the way I do the side plots, it adds flavor to the story and I think I've found a balance of only putting fragments in chapters whereas other authors do entire chapters. As for Shikamaru…I'm surprised you didn't like it. As I said to Hektols, my aim was Sherlock Holmes. I guess I missed the mark on that?

**DKSamurai:** Sorry for the confusion, I meant the entire story has been leading up to this arc. Hopefully that helps dull the disappointment a little?

**The story so far on Our Ninja Way…**

Naruto and Hinata meet to train and spend more time with each other.

As they leave the village to train, they meet an old couple by the names of Jihibiki and Renge

Naruto and Hinata's training is interrupted by the arrival of 2 potential Akatsuki replacements, Yama and Shinsui

A brief and violent fight ensues, Naruto is knocked unconscious and Hinata is pushed past her limits.

When Naruto finally comes too, he sees Hinata about to be killed.

Forcefully taking some of Kurama's chakra, Naruto kills Yama and then goes after Shinsui.

Shinsui targets the unconscious Hinata to make her escape.

After getting her to safety, Naruto learns Hinata is dying from chakra exhaustion. Desperate to save her he forces Kurama's chakra into her to jump start her system

When Sakura arrives he orders her to get Hinata to the hospital and pursues Shinsui

Using a combination of sage and demonic chakra, Naruto subdues Shinsui

Arriving at the hospital he's told that Hinata will die from the poisonous demonic chakra

Just when Naruto loses hope, Jihibiki and Renge reappear with a seal that could save her

Resolving to save her no matter what, Naruto gathers everything he needs and goes to her.

With the help of Neji and Hanabi, Naruto saves Hinata at the cost of what Naruto thinks is his own life.

When Naruto awakens, he's surprised to be alive but even more so when Hiashi appears

Hiashi thanks Naruto for saving Hinata, apologizes for her being a burden, and then demands he stay away from her. He threatens Naruto's dream of being Hokage if he doesn't obey.

Naruto leaves to think about everything. While alone Neji and Kakashi come to visit him.

Neji informs Naruto that Kurama was the one who saved Hinata from Pain.

Kakashi then asks Naruto what he'll do about the Raikage's order to hunt down Sasuke

While Naruto is contemplating this, he's attacked by Killer Bee's students who are looking for information on Sasuke.

Naruto instead takes a beating from Karui in Sasuke's place before Samui and Sai intervene

A brief bonding occurs between the two.

After getting Naruto patched up, Sai finds Sakura and demands she lift the promise she had him make saying that the strain will end up killing him.

While Sakura comes to terms with what she's done to her teammate, Naruto is visited by Jihibiki.

He informs Naruto that Hinata's seal has malfunctioned and there's a threat of it being released in tomorrow's dual against her father.

The next day, Naruto leaves to ask the Raikage to forgive Sasuke. At the same time Hinata appears before the entire clan to duel her father.

At the same time, Sakura leaves the village with Sai and Kiba

The entire clan is surprised by Hinata's tenacity against her father, even going so far as to drive him back and knock him down.

At the same time, Naruto finds the Raikage and asks for his forgiveness. Naruto is denied.

While resting at an inn, Madara appears and attempts to capture Naruto. Just as he's about to Naruto is reverse-summoned by Jihibiki to the Hyuuga compound where Hinata's seal has broken and she's lost control.

Sakura knocks Sai and Kiba out after picking up Sasuke's trail.

Finding Sasuke, Sakura volunteers to come with him. As a test of loyalty she kills Karin before Madara's eyes.

Back in the village, Naruto removes Hinata from the village quickly and with the help of Jihibiki, Renge, and the Konoha 9, they subdue her.

While this is happening, Kakashi finds Karin and rushes her back to the village

After Hinata and Naruto are both admitted to the hospital, Hiashi appears enraged and threatens to destroy Naruto's dream.

Naruto then tells Hiashi he'll never get the chance, since he plans to kill him and the Hyuuga elders for the order to eliminate Hinata when she lost control.

Another shouting match ensues before Renge and Jihibiki intervene along with Neji.

Neji reveals his curse seal has been removed, along with the Hyuuga elders' grip over the entire clan, and Renge and Jihibiki as being Naruto's great great grandparents.

After apologies and explanations are given, Naruto is informed of Sakura's abandonment and self assigned double agent mission.

At the same time, Neji helps to save Karin's life

Jihibiki and Renge then tell Naruto and Hinata they'll help train them.

After a few weeks, Hiashi reveals his dire situation to Tsunade. The elders are planning to overthrow him and overthrow the village as well.

As a result Hanabi is attacked.

Enraged by the sight of Hinata upset and at Tsunade's overwhelmed predicament, Naruto takes control of the mission to stop the Hyuuga coup.

Naruto is given total authority, with Tsunade his only superior. Realizing he'll need help Naruto drafts Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino into his services.

For the next few weeks working in close tandem with Anbu and Root, Naruto and the others train and prepare with Jihibiki and Renge.

At the same time, Hiashi takes Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji to a secret training field to teach them the archaic precursor to the Gentle Fist—the Hollow Fist.

Naruto, Jihibiki, and Renge learn about Karin from Neji and against Tsunade's orders remove her from prison. A massive argument breaks out between Naruto and Tsunade but in the end he wins.

Karin goes home with Naruto.

Jihibiki then gives Naruto, Shikamaru, Sai, and Shino masks created by the Uzumakis in Uzushiogakure—the Night Angels.

When Naruto tries to fit his mask on a dark entity called Menma tries to take control.

Kurama reactivates the seal causing both Menma and him to lose whatever freedom they had inside Naruto.

Naruto is severely injured and forced to be healed by Karin. Hinata's impromptu entry causes a misunderstanding resulting in Hinata to faint, and a destroyed door.

Sakura succeeds in seducing Sasuke and sending vital information back to Konoha

A day before the festival the Uzumaki Kitchen Fiasco occurs

Jihibiki and Renge reveal Naruto's inheritance to him. All the Uzumakis visit the mansion estate and later throw a party.

Naruto is elected the fourth clan head of the Uzumakis, the clan is recognized by Konoha, and Sai is adopted into the clan

Jihibiki and Renge then reveal their true identities as the Third Uzukage and Daimyo of Uzushiogakure.

The explanation of how Uzushio fell is then given, involving the participation of the then thought dead Uchiha Madara.

Jihibiki explains how he died in his fight with Madara to give everyone time to escape the village.

Enraged at how Jihibiki returned to life and what it cost him (but you don't know yet, mwahaha!) Naruto leaves and goes to the Uzumaki memorial to be alone.

Hinata follows to make sure he's okay.

Naruto confesses his feelings for Hinata and heavy petting occurs.

They're interrupted by Sai's second attempt at cooking.

The next day, everyone participating in the mission arrive at the Uzumaki mansion. While the girls prepare for the festival, the men go over the mission briefing.

**Chapter 38: SNAFU**

**18:55 hrs**

Naruto was having a drink in the kitchen with Sai, Shikamaru, Shino and Neji. The mission briefing had just ended, and now all that was left for them to do was wait patiently for their dates. And although Neji had no idea of what was happening, he seemed to pick up that something _was_ going on he wasn't aware of. The commander, Boar, and Hare had already left to assemble the Anbu and begin forming a perimeter while Sai's Root captains left to prepare the four teams for the Hyuuga estate raid. While they joked and killed time Naruto couldn't help it as his mind wander back how this all started. Unsurprisingly, a dark haired kunoichi and her desire to make sure he'd healed properly was the result.

A smile spread across his lips at the thought of the stuttering mess she'd been. So shy and meek, yet so determined and persistent. It was hard to believe it had been a month since Nagato invaded the Leaf. So much had happened between then and now.

"**Not to eavesdrop,"** Kurama said moving to the front of his mind, **"but there's a lot that still has to happen. Not to mention a certain guest that needs to be dealt with after all is said and done."**

"_I haven't forgot,"_ Naruto replied, his mood darkening somewhat. _"But we'll deal with it one step at a time."_

As Kurama left his mind Naruto caught Renge calling all of them into the living room. Looking at the others, he grinned and led them into the room. However, he stopped short when his eyes fell on her.

Her chin was down, but she looked up at him with her pale lavender eyes smiling and a blush tingeing her cheeks. The kimono she wore was something to behold, and Naruto suddenly understood just how she managed to spend so much money preparing for this night. It looked to be some kind of hybrid between a traditional kimono and a dress—the top part tucked like a kimono but fused at the hips to flow out like a dress.

Barely clinging to her shoulders the crimson silk wrapped gracefully around her, accenting every curve but leaving her modest and plenty to imagine. Navy blue silk accented the edges of the kimono and lined crimson ruffles that ran from her waist down to her feet and splayed out when she twirled. Her hair was done up in a bun—apparently some sort of Uzumaki hair style tradition if Naruto had to guess—and when she did a twirl under Renge's orders Naruto caught the crimson Uzumaki symbol stitched into her back over a blue accent piece. Around her neck hung the necklace he'd given her. The stone attached to it he'd slaved away for so many hours nestled between her breasts and hidden just under the top of the kimono.

"Well I'm glad ta see my work hasn't gone unnoticed," Renge said grinning and shaking Naruto from his stupor. "Seems like none of them can speak girls."

Glancing to his sides, Naruto noticed that all of them were wearing the same shocked expression he had. When his eyes drifted to the rest of the women he realized why. Each of them held their own grace and beauty unique to the part of the world they hailed from. Samui wore white and silver, Temari black and beige, Tamamushi forest green and red, and Karin wore mostly navy blue with crimson accents—an Uzumaki symbol displayed over her right breast.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say you ladies look amazing," Naruto said though his eyes never left Hinata.

Hinata's face lit up at his words, and around her the other girls followed suit. Yet when she looked closer at the men she noticed something different about them. Granted, she'd never seen Naruto in dress robes before—nobody probably had. And she wasn't ashamed to admit she drooled a little at his black silk yukata, pants, and sage robe over top. But there was something else as well. The very presence of the men before them was different, and she couldn't quite place it until she saw Naruto's eyes.

Desire.

The idea sent blood rushing to her face so fast the rest of her body started to go numb. The feeling was so superficial. So animalistic. Yet the idea of Naruto thinking of her in such ways sent shivers down her back, and she wetted her lips in anticipation. It was empowering to see the effect she was having over him, knowing she could bend him to her will. It made her feel like a woman more than ever before. But then again, didn't he have the same effect on her?

Hinata's thoughts wandered to the previous night when he confessed to her and her reaction afterwards. Had her feelings not been of desire then? The idea of him returning those feelings seemed so foreign to her, but at the same time she couldn't shake the tingling catching in her chest and burning its way downwards.

He wanted her—she could see it in his eyes.

And she wanted him just as badly.

But there was more to his look than a physical want, and she knew it. It went deeper. It was a need for her, a necessity, a basic essential to have her in his life and be a part of hers.

Her hand came up and lightly touched her chest where his gift rested. He'd been right when he gave her the necklace. He was her other half, her yang, and she never felt more complete than when she was in his arms. That was the desire they shared—the desire for completeness. They had yearned for the same thing for so long—to feel a wholeness they grew up without ever knowing.

But standing in the room now realizing for the first time what they shared, Hinata found the atmosphere to be stifling. Not suffocating, but saturating. As if the very air was seeping into her body and bringing out her inner most desires, only to thicken the air even more.

She took a breath and couldn't. Her chest refused to expand until she realized it was because she couldn't possibly get any more air into her lungs. Her face burned with a different kind of heat—the kind that burned in her belly and between her legs. The intoxication taking hold had her quivering in excitement. And it wasn't for their date, but for what was to come afterwards. It took root deep in her chest and threatened to keep them here, at the house, locked in his room doing things she'd only fantasized about.

"Naruto."

It was Sai who said it, and just like that the mood shattered. One second an evoking provocative tension, the next replaced by something else entirely.

Naruto closed his eyes taking a long steady breath, and relished in the scent he could smell despite the distance between Hinata and him. It was the same smell from the night before when they'd been in his room alone, and it took every ounce of self control to force down the uncomfortable pressure building in his pants. He let out his breath as he opened his eyes and set his jaw. He could think about his desires for her later, right now she needed protecting—the entire village needed protecting.

"Well," he said motioning to the front of the house smiling. "Shall we?"

The two groups met and made their way to the front door while complimenting each other on the way. Holding open the door, Naruto let the group pass through but when he moved to follow his entire body seized up just inside the door frame. The realization of what he was about to do finally dawning on him as he watched the group moving on—laughing and talking excitedly in the evening air.

Before it had been nothing but words and plans.

They planned. They trained. They planned some more.

But now it was different. Once he stepped through the door and into the night everything they'd been planning would be put into motion. It wouldn't be just a plan anymore—it'd be the real thing. And it wasn't just some mission he'd helped plan, this mission had thousands of live depending on his every order.

The tightness in his chest returned and his grip on the doorframe tightened. Was it all enough? Were the hours spent in agonizing training enough in the end? What about the plan? Shikamaru was brilliant, but not even he could plan for every variable. He closed his eyes and took a tight breath.

A hand rested on his shoulder and gave a squeeze. Looking back Naruto saw Sai with a grim yet determined smile on his face.

"Let's give 'em hell," Sai said.

A determined smirk appeared on Naruto's face and he nodded. Exiting the house and catching up with the group, Naruto ushered them quickly towards the festival with vocal bravado. The group laughed and yelled excitedly as they hurried down the path leading to the main street.

On the third floor of the house, Jihibiki stoically watched them leave. A cool breeze rustled his clothes and caressed his weathered skin allowing him a brief moment to bask in the calm of the growing evening.

Then it passed. Eyes narrowing and lips drawing into a thin line, he suddenly whirled around and walked towards the center of the room. "Time to go to work."

As the words left his lips the open walls allowing the night air in shimmered, replaced by the tinted glass walls of the command center. The table before him lit up, a 3-D image of the Konoha springing into the air and slowly rotating as the seals activated and processed data. Jihibiki placed a hand on a seal and pulsed his chakra. The map stopped its rotation and descended to the table—as it did thousands of blue forms flickered to life across the entire village.

"Activate operations program," Jihibiki ordered. Placing his hands behind his back he began to slowly circle the table. The map flickered, this time the number of chakra signatures reduced greatly as civilian chakra levels were filtered out. Briefly touching another seal he said, "Upload scenario variables."

Again the map flickered. Green signatures spread across the map in a wave—Anbu and Root operatives.

Flicker.

Four black signatures appeared on the edge of the map accompanied by six dark blue ones heading towards the main street—the Night Angels and their escorts.

Flicker.

Hundreds of yellow signatures—Branch Members forced to participate in the coup.

Flicker.

Orange—extremist Branch Members. As numerous as the yellows, spread out in groups of ten.

Flicker.

Jihibiki's eyes narrowed. A handful of red images appeared mixed in with the groups of yellow. Trigger agents.

—**Mission Briefing: 18:00 hrs—**

"Trigger agents?" Naruto asked. The room was full to the brim—every captain and squad leader from Anbu and Root were present.

"A trigger agent is someone who activates a plan—a catalyst that sets off an event," the Commander explained.

"The planned coup is set up in two stages," Shino said tapping another seal. Suddenly the different colored figures disappeared and reappeared in different areas of the village. "The first stage will be the coup itself, which will initiate as soon as the firework show begins."

As Shino said this fireworks began to explode over the village as the simulation started. "Using the momentary distraction, forty groups consisting of ten members each will attack key points in the village. These groups will consist of those loyal to the radical movement."

The room watched as forty groups of orange figures attacked different buildings throughout the village. Naruto noted they planned to attack the operation base for the village barrier, Anbu Headquarters, and the Intelligence Department. While other groups were to provide cover or engage any shinobi nearby.

"Their objectives other than these points will also be the Hyuuga Main Family, any Branch Members deemed a liability, and the Hokage." Shino said. "During this time they will also lead an attack at the Hyuuga Estate in an attempt to gain the scroll containing the Kyuubi's chakra—which is believed to be kept in Hyuuga Hiashi's office."

Again they watched as multiple groups of orange converged from inside the Hyuuga Estate on one room in particular. At the same time, more groups surrounded four blue figures on the main street. Above each they had the kanji for Hokage, Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji.

"However, these forty groups cannot ensure a 100% success rate." Shino said. "This is where the trigger agents come in. There are thirty of them—each one a loyal extremist designated to a group of ten coerced Branch Members. They have one job and one job only…" Shino tapped a seal and said quietly, "Maximize confusion and panic…"

A pall silence fell over them as they watched thirty groups within the crowd begin to attack whoever was around them, shinobi and civilians alike, without prejudice. After a few moments of slaughtering, other ninja appeared to fight back but explosions enveloped the groups. Suicide bombs…

Shino tapped the same seal again and the map reset. "We have exactly two hours before the fireworks begin. Our priorities in order of importance are as follows— trigger agents, the village key points, Hokage, the Main Hyuuga family."

"The trigger agents will take top priority?" Boar asked.

"It's safe to assume if we can eliminate them then their forces will be cut to less than half." Shino replied. "The Branch Members forced to participate are only doing so because of threats being made to families, lovers, or friends. If we can eliminate the trigger agent then the rest of the group should come quietly."

—**19:00 hrs—**

"_Naruto,"_ Jihibiki's voice appeared in his head, and Naruto was thankful the girls were distracted at the moment. _"Anbu and Root are in position. Standing by for your orders."_

Because radios were too obvious while in public, Naruto had designed a seal with Jihibiki to act like one. Hidden behind the ear, the seal would send the voice of the speaker directly into the middle ear. They worked, but they weren't field tested…Thoroughly at least. A brief testing showed the range of the radio was roughly the entire village. Unfortunately that was all they could test, and while it made them somewhat of a liability the Night Angel's need for communication made them a necessity.

The path evened out to the main road and the paper lamps began to color the world around them—painting the atmosphere soft yellows, reds, and blues. The noise of the crowd sprang upon them when they rounded the corner, and the group's own voices were soon drowned out by the louder masses. It was the opportunity Naruto had been waiting for. His jaw clenched and heart sped up, causing a nervous tingle to wash through his body.

"Initiate operation Spring Cleaning," Naruto said, the second seal he designed located on his tooth transmitting the order back to Jihibiki.

There was a pause on Jihibiki's end. Then, _"Operation is green light, we're jutsus hot. Two hours till deadline."_

At the same time, Naruto and the other three tensed as Jihibiki's words registered. The next they relaxed and a subtle nod from Naruto sent them into action.

"Let's head this way," Shikamaru said tilting his head to the left towards the Hokage Tower. The northern sector designated Alpha was under his watch. "I remember seeing a couple of stands you might like."

"I believe there are some games you might like this way, Tama-chan." Shino said pulling her away to the right—the southern sector designated Charlie.

As if sensing something was going on, Neji got Karin's attention and indicated after Shino and Tamamushi. "What do you say we go explore?"

Karin smiled but it faded quickly. Her eyebrows came together behind her glasses and her eyes drifted to Naruto. She could feel the short, faint, pluses of chakra coming off of him and the others. They were up to something. He looked over at her and instantly became concerned.

"We're gonna head out nii-sama so you two have fun," Karin said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Throwing a hug around his neck her hushed words reached his ear, "Please be careful."

Naruto was silent for moment. Then his arms came up and wrapped around Karin tightly, his hug strong and reassuring. A faint smile appeared and he whispered back. "Don't worry about me. Just have fun."

Stepping away she grabbed Neji's hand and left. Sai came up next to Naruto and watched them disappear through the crowd.

"She'll be alright." Sai said. His voice lacked the confidence that what he said was true though.

"Of course she will," Naruto answered. "She's an Uzumaki."

"…Time to go to work."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

At the same time, they reached up and tapped their foreheads with their fingers activating their masks. The moment they did seals spread across their eyes before fading away. Blinking a few times, Naruto looked around the festival in awe. Nothing seemed to have changed with the exceptions of people being outlined in different colors. It was faint, almost like a transparent barrier the way they glowed. Most of the people were in blue, but down the street he could just make out the bright flash of yellow. Glancing at Sai he noted the black color outlining him and figured he probably looked the same to Sai.

"Happy hunting," Naruto said smirking grimly.

Turning back to Hinata, Naruto offered his arm and pointed towards a stall a little further down the road. Whispering into her ear she nodded and grinned as well and the two set off.

The plan was simple: work their way down from one end of their sector—Bravo—to the other. They would handle the targets they came across, providing back up for each other when needed.

The crowd was thick, a double edged blade but they could use it mostly to their advantage. And despite the situation, Naruto had to admit that there was a certain level of excitement from the atmosphere the crowd was giving off. This was his first date. The first time he'd ever been to the festival. The first time he'd experienced the sights, smells, and sounds. If it wasn't for the mission, Naruto knew he'd easily have had a blast.

Slipping through the throng of people, Naruto spotted the first stall he'd have to clear. Through the mask Naruto was able to locate the group of targets in the area. Three were around the stall they were headed to, another four directly across the road at another one, two more making an irregular patrol around the area, and the last one was sitting on a bench next to the trigger agent just to the left of the stall.

"This one looks like fun, Hime." Naruto said pointing the gaming stall which turned out to be a ring toss.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata said trying not to blush from her nickname being used openly in public. "Don't y-you think that's a b-bit too easy?"

"So what?" Naruto asked shrugging. "I've never been to this festival before and I wanna try them all!"

"Y-You've never been to this festival?" Hinata asked wide-eyed.

Naruto blushed and looked away. "I-I…wasn't ever really welcomed when I was younger. And then I left on the trip with ero-sennin for another two years."

He felt his hand squeezed and looked back to see Hinata blushing shyly. "S-So this i-is y-your f-f-first time?"

Naruto blinked and then grinned. "Ya know, when you say it like that Hime it sounds really dirty."

"N-N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata gasped smacking his arm and blushed even deeper. After managing to calm her thoughts she gave him an adorable glare saying, "I-I meant this is y-your first time at the festival, a-and I'm happy I get to share it w-with you."

"So am I," Naruto said giving that smile she loved.

"Well let's go then," Hinata said pulling him towards the stall. "Y-You want t-to try them all and by the end of the night we will. Th-That's a promise!"

Naruto laughed, but it quickly turned into a cry of surprise. When Hinata turned back to him he was scowling and teetering on one foot.

"Is e-everything okay?"

"Gah! Stupid rock!" Naruto muttered as he tried to get it out with his other foot. "Grab us a spot in line Hina-chan, I need to sit down to get this thing out of my sandal."

"Okay!" Hinata said smiling and moving into the line.

Naruto turned and hobbled to the bench where his target was sitting. Out of the corner of his eye he caught the two Hyuuga patrolling the area turn towards him. Behind them, Sai stepped away from Samui who was eying some jewelry at a stall nearby and gave him a slight nod.

"Mind scooting over?" Naruto asked the two Hyuuga with a grin. "Got a rock stuck in my sandal and I can't get to it with all these robes on."

The two looked at each other before the one bathed in red nodded. The yellow Hyuuga got up and Naruto sat down next to the trigger agent who eyed him warily.

"Thanks," Naruto said as he bent down and slipped off his sandal. He shook it a few times and started to slip it back on asking, "Everything okay here?"

"Of course. Why," the Hyuuga bathed in red asked, and Naruto noticed the other Hyuuga tense.

Naruto shrugged. "You guys don't seem to be enjoying yourselves. If you don't watch it someone might think you're up to something."

The trigger agent smirked at Naruto with thinly veiled contempt. "We'll keep that in mind."

"Good," Naruto said noticing the two Hyuuga patrolling and the other four from across the road had shown up. Smiling, he clamped the man's shoulder and said, "Enjoy the rest of your night."

The man froze, his eyes darting to Naruto wildly before looking down to where his hand had just been. As Naruto pulled his hand away, a black seal spread across his shoulder and rapidly covered his body.

"What have you done?!" The Hyuuga next to him demanded striking at him.

Naruto grabbed the man's hand and slammed him against the wall by the neck. The entire time he stared at the rest of the Hyuugas present, daring them to move.

"I know what you're planning," he said, his eyes slowly going over each of them as they stiffened in fear. "I also know you're not willingly doing this."

Releasing the man from his hold Naruto stepped back and motioned to the man on the ground. "I know your plans. My team is currently working to stop them as we speak."

"We can't allow you to do this!" One of the Hyuugas shouted. "If you do, our families—"

"Will remain unharmed," Naruto said. Seeing their confused looks he elaborated. "I've had an entire month to prepare for this. If you cooperate then we'll be able to stop the fighting before it even begins."

"It's not possible!" Another Hyuuga said shaking his head frowning. "There's too many of us. You'll fail and if we help then our families will be punished."

Naruto smirked, "It'll fail? Despite the fact that I have the entire Anbu and the 'nonexistent' Root at my disposal?"

"That's not possible! The Hyuuga members in Anbu were supposed to report if they caught wind of Anbu knowing anything."

"I'm glad to hear that. It means you guys are none the wiser to what I've been planning." Naruto said smirking. "The truth is we purged the Anbu of Hyuuga operatives. Sent them away on 'reconnaissance' missions when we actually had them arrested after leaving. After we captured all of them we began to work on a plan to stop the coup. We know who's involved. Who's guilty. Innocent. And targeted."

Looking around Naruto held his hands out and said, "I'm here to help."

Everyone was quiet until one Hyuuga stepped forward frowning. "I'm sorry Naruto-sama, but the scale of our plan is far too large. Even if you say you have counter-measures, two clandestine operations working against each other are bound to have collateral damage…and that damage will be our families."

"I understand." Naruto said nodding. Blurring forward he slapped a seal across the man's chest knocking him out. "But with your group my mission will almost be complete. So you have two options. You can fight back and assuredly put your families in danger…Or, you can surrender quietly and allow this mission to finish without a hitch." Looking around at them he shrugged. "What'll it be?"

It was a lie. A bold one at that to a clan capable of determining if someone was lying. But they were stressed and desperate, looking for the slightest of hope to cling to.

The others looked at each other and the trigger agent before one of them finally said, "We'll come quietly Naruto-sama. But please know that our families are being held hostage—"

"Inside the Hyuuga estate in three different locations," Naruto said. "I know. I have men on the ground waiting for my signal to launch the rescue." The fact that Naruto seemed to know all the facts put them at ease, but he realized if he waited any longer Hinata would start to wonder. "Now I don't know if you're aware, but you all are currently mobile bombs."

The way all of the members stiffened told Naruto they in fact didn't know. "Is there anything you were given or told not to take off?"

"Our robes!" One of the Hyuugas said paling. He started to pull at his obi frantically. "We were told not to take off the robes we were given!" 

Before he could completely pull the obi away Naruto clamped his hands down on the Hyuuga's, immobilizing him.

"Look at me!" Naruto said causing the man to turn his wide eyes to him. "I know you're scared, but there's a chance if you remove the robe you'll set off the bomb. Do you understand?"

The Hyuuga paled even more and nodded stiffly.

"Good, now I'm going to let go. When I do, I want you to not move." After the man nodded again he let go and stepped back.

Channeling chakra into his eyes he let Retribution scan the clothing, watching in mild fascination as the clothing turned somewhat transparent. After a moment, two circles began to flash on either side of the man's shoulders and Naruto stepped forward to see a seal applied to the underside of the robes. They had been designed so they would remain in contact with the skin underneath constantly, and he recognized the seals at a glance to be moderately sized explosives. Heavy and lethal, but not as big as to cause damage to nearby structures. His lips came together and he channeled chakra to his molar.

"Are you getting this," Naruto asked. An image of the seal appeared in the upper right peripheral of his vision, a HUD that was being fed to the other three. A moment later he received three separate pulses and a vocal confirmation from Jihibiki. "Looks like we're dealing with class three explosives capable of being triggered remotely. There's also a secondary detonator that activates when the wearer's chakra is no longer present. Jihibiki can you confirm?"

"_You're right,"_ Jihibiki said as he examined a 3-D image of the seal above the map. _"They'll need to keep their robes on until we can deactivate the seals. Renge can start the process once they're taken to the designated holding areas."_

"Good," Naruto said. "Sai, bring the last three here and then start the search for the next group. Jihibiki, send me a squad to escort these men away."

Naruto then paused for a moment. His head bowed slightly and his fists clenched together in equal parts frustration and anger. "Shikamaru, Shino, Sai, these explosives aren't linked to the trigger agent's vitals. If you need to…lethal force is authorized."

A few seconds later Sai appeared with the last three from the group, and as he did the street parted from an earth jutsu and a squad of Root operatives appeared. "Naruto-taichou," they said with a quick bow.

"Take these men to containment delta, Renge will be there to dispose of the bombs." Naruto said and then glared at the trigger agent lying on the ground. "Secure this piece of trash. And make sure it isn't comfortable."

No sooner had the words left Naruto's lips and the Hyuugas were ushered into the tunnel with a Root carrying the trigger agent over the shoulder. A moment later the ground came together and resealed the tunnel that had been used.

Turning back to Sai, Naruto said with a heavy voice, "Deactivate the blast barrier and genjutsu. Then find the next group and signal me when you find them."

Sai stared at Naruto for a moment and then put a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not easy ordering a death. But these men are willing to sacrifice their family and innocents to gain power."

"Doesn't make it any less easy."

"And that's a good thing," Sai said with nod. "I'll signal you soon."

Naruto nodded and they parted ways. As he approached the crowd he caught the faint purple shield surrounding the area fall away from Sai deactivating the barrier and genjutsu. He had to admit, his surrogate brother was coming along nicely with seals. Jihibiki and Renge both praised him on his rapid progress in the short time they had to teach him.

"_Naruto,"_ Jihibiki reported. _"Shikamaru and Shino both have eliminated a squad and Sai has found the next group. There's a Root squad acting as stall workers who can assist him. Bypass him and go to the next group—they're about ten meters from where Sai is."_

Naruto caught a glimpse of Hinata through the crowd—she was nearly to the front and looking around for him. "Understood," he said as he pushed his way through the last bit of crowd and smiled when she saw him.

"_I know the shield and genjutsu were necessary for the first team as a precaution, but it's too slow to do it with every group."_ Jihibiki said in a lecturing tone. A scowl began to form on Naruto's face, the bastard had better made sure this was just between them. _"You'll need to move quicker."_

"Don't worry about it old man!" Naruto snapped and he could almost feel Jihibiki flinch. There was a pause.

"_Understood."_

Naruto's scowl deepened and he tried to push it to the side. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't bothered by his grandparents' presence now. After what they'd revealed the night before, how could he not? To go so far as to do something like _that_. It was unforgivable, and the more Naruto thought about it the angrier he became. It was beyond selfish for them to do something as reckless as what they did, and they should have expected the consequences of their actions to be just as bad. But distractions were something he couldn't afford right now. So gritting his teeth, he buried his feelings.

"Naruto-kun is something wrong?" Hinata asked.

Naruto's eyes snapped up to hers, and he grinned embarrassedly. "Ah…no, not really. Just surprised with how crowded this place is. I can barely move!"

Hinata giggled, but her eyes lingered on him for a moment. "I was starting to worry. I thought I'd have to come find you."

"Well I'm here now," Naruto said with a big grin nodding his head. "And it looks like we're up!"

He stepped up to the stall with an eager smile surprising the stall owner.

"Naruto-sama, what a wonderful surprise! And, Hinata-sama as well! You look absolutely stunning!" The owner said grinning widely. Naruto noticed the man said their names loud enough to gain the attention of the people in the immediate area, and quite suddenly the stall became packed as people tried to watch.

"You seem rather excited to see us," Naruto said subtly calling the man out on his advertising.

"Of course I am!" The owner chuckled. "You two are _the_ 'it' couple of the village after all."

The results were as expected. Hinata looked down and blushed a deep red, glancing at Naruto out of the corner of her eye. Naruto waved his hands spluttering, insisting they were only there as friends. The crowd laughed in good humor, the owner chuckled with an evil glint in his eye, and Naruto complied with a none-verbal agreement to shut his mouth.

"So how do we play this game," Naruto asked taking some money out and handing it over. "I've never seen it before."

"The rules are simple," the owner said taking the money and handing them each three brightly colored rings. "Three rings, three chances. No leaning over the counter and no ninja abilities. Make all three and win a prize!"

"Sounds easy enough," Naruto said smiling.

"_Naruto, there's a patrol group closing in on your position and Shikamaru is busy with a group."_ Jihibiki said. _"If you let them pass they'll see Shikamaru!" _

—**Mission Briefing: 18:35 hrs—**

"About the trigger agents," Shino said drawing everyone's attention again. "There's a subdivision of them that could cause major problems for the mission."

"What is it," the Commander asked.

"While most groups will remain in certain areas, there are a few who will be roaming up and down the entire street." Shino said. "Their job is to ensure all other groups are there and nothing suspicious is happening."

The room fell silent as the information sank in.

"Do you know who these groups are?" Naruto asked.

"No," Shino answered. "It seemed they planned to wait until just before the festival to assign those particular groups."

"It's a good move on their part," Shikamaru admitted with a frown. "On the off chance their plan is discovered, it leaves one variable that isn't capable of being predicted and planned for."

"So what are our options," a Root captain asked.

"At this point?" Shino asked. "The only thing we can do is keep a sharp eye on the map and stay in communication with each other."

Naruto sighed and shook his head, "Jihibiki, any chance you can do something with the map?"

"On such a short notice, not much." Jihibiki said frowning. "I'll tinker around and see what I can come up with."

—**19:23 hrs—**

Naruto turned his head and saw the group Jihibiki was talking about moving towards him, arrows floating above their heads in their corresponding color marking them in the crowd. It was the only thing Jihibiki had managed on such short notice, but it at least made tracking people through the crowd easier.

"I'm on it," he muttered.

"_There's a group of Root disguised as food vendors across from you,"_ Jihibiki said. _"Give them a distraction and they'll take care of the rest."_

"Did you say something, Naruto-sama?" The vendor asked. Naruto looked back and found everyone staring at him.

Naruto's eyes darted back and forth for a moment as he grasped for an idea. Glancing down at the rings in his hand, a grin broke out and he said, "Yes I did. How about a bet?"

"A bet…" the vendor said. It seemed the man was remembering just who he was dealing with—the infamous prankster of Konoha.

"_Fifteen meters…"_ Jihibiki called out—that wasn't helping.

"Yes a bet," Naruto nodded. "I throw from say…" he paused dramatically and looked around before shrugging, "the other end of the street. I make one, I get a prize. I don't, I pay double."

"_Ten meters…"_ Seriously not helping.

The crowd looked back to the vendor. The man looked anxious, but there was also a glint in his eyes. A gamble that could potentially give him a big payout. He smirked and said, "Three rings, triple the money."

The crowd looked back to Naruto.

"_Five meters…"_ The bastard was getting strangled after all this was over.

Naruto grimaced. "One ring, double the money."

The crowd looked back to the man.

"_Naruto!"_

"Deal!"

"MOVE!" Naruto bellowed surprising everyone as he turned on his heels and pushed through the crowd. Instantly the people began forming a tunnel, and to his right he caught eleven triangles come to a stop at the back of the human wall. Approaching the food vendors on the opposite side of the street he grinned. "Hey guys, mind stepping out for a second? Kinda hard to concentrate when people are looking over your shoulder."

Despite being Root, Naruto could've sworn one of them briefly smirked. They cleared out quick enough, and when Naruto turned around his eyes grew at the large crowd his spectacle had caused. He glimpsed Hinata looking at him in half exasperation and half amusement causing him to grin nervously. But he knew if the Root ninja were to have any chance he'd need to keep everyone's eyes on him.

Flourishing the ring Naruto spoke to the gathering crowd. "Citizens and visitors of Konoha! Behold as I, the amazingly awesome Uzumaki Naruto, attempt the greatest feat of festival games this village has ever seen!"

The crowd immediately erupted into cheers. Yet over the roar he heard four distinct snorts through his radio.

"_Assholes." _Naruto thought bitterly. _"All of them."_

Naruto took aim, and just as he was throwing out of the corner of his eye he saw the trigger agent notice the Root ninjas. His eyes widened and adrenalin exploded into his veins causing him to inadvertently put more power into his throw. Years of practice with shuriken made him release the ring early in an attempt to compensate for the extra power—not that he cared. Instead, his eyes shifted to the trigger agent who was trying to fight off one of the Root agents and make a hand seal. Naruto's eyes widened further.

The trigger agent's hand came up, and while the crowd watched Naruto's terrible throw in fascination, he watched with a rapidly dropping stomach as the trigger agent's fingers formed the ram seal.

There was a flash—a small one—caused by a Root's tanto slicing the Hyuuga's hand clean off at the wrist. Before he could even cry out or spray the backs of onlookers with his blood he was gagged and tackled.

There was a brief lull, one that felt like an eternity to Naruto.

"_Trigger agent subdued and bombs secured,"_ Jihibiki said and Naruto let out a shaky breath.

"Status report," Naruto ordered.

Jihibiki sighed, _"Gamma squad's radio on the North Perimeter has gone dark for a few minutes now. They're chakra signatures are still present so it must be the batteries. One of the suppression seals Red team used on a trigger agent in sector Charlie was faulty and they were required to use lethal force."_

Turning away from the subdued Hyuugas just in time, Naruto watched his horribly off course ring collide with the street lamp on the opposite side of the street. It then ricocheted over the stall, collided with a water tower on the opposite side, bounced off and landed on some power lines.

The crowd 'awed' as the ring sent a shower of sparks down while sliding across the wires. Wobbling for a moment, it fell off the lines to the middle of the street. Halfway to the ground though, a bird swooped down chasing a moth and caught the ring around its neck. It shriek, thrashing in mid air while carrying the ring towards the stall, before throwing the ring off and flying away. As the ring continued its descent back to earth, somewhere in the crowd a child fired a roman candle when their parents weren't looking. The firework flew low, and exploded just behind the ring. While the crowd gasped in shock, the vendor watched in horror as the ring flew up over his stall, fell through the open top, and landed directly around one of the bottles.

There was brief moment of silence. Then the crowd exploded into cheers and cries of "Naruto-sama!" And through it all a single voice could be heard crying out in disbelief.

"_Judging from the force used on the trigger agent just now, odds are he'll probably bleed out before he can receive medical attention,"_ Jihibiki continued.

Naruto made his way back through the crowd getting slaps on the back and congratulated, but the entire time his mind was on the trigger agent. What almost happened was far too close for comfort. They'd nearly had the street reduced to a meat locker.

When he finally made it back, Naruto found Hinata beaming but shaking her head at the audacity of his stunt. She stopped when she noticed the look on his face, the subtle shaking in his hands, and the way he was far too pale for only nearly losing a simple festival bet. She opened her mouth, but Naruto beat her to it by turning to the vendor.

"Are you okay," he asked the vendor who was mumbling to himself.

"A-Ah yes! I'm quite alright." The man said before slumping slightly and waving to the prizes. "As promised, pick a prize."

Naruto turned to Hinata, "See anything you like, Hime?"

Hinata blushed at Naruto's offer. Her heart speeding up at the thought of how the two of them were on an actual date. It only deepened when the crowd, who had yet to disperse, awed again.

Trying to focus, she scanned the prize shelves until she froze on one and her eyes grew. Slowly she pointed a shaky finger at the back shelf and whispered a single word.

"Bunny."

The vendor nearly broke into tears as he turned and grabbed the stuffed animal. Setting on the counter, Hinata slowly reached forward completely captivated by the animal. Her finger tips stroked the fur briefly before she pulled away.

"So soft," she murmured.

"It's made of real rabbit fur and hand crafted to be life like." The vendor nodded. "It's also really…really…_really_…expensive."

This time Naruto actually saw the man wipe a tear away. When he looked back at Hinata she had the rabbit squeezed between her breasts and rubbing her face into it. A pang of longing briefly shot through him to be where the rabbit was before he shook it off and smiled.

"Come on, Hinata-chan. Lot's too see tonight!"

Hinata hummed in agreement and then latched onto his arm. He escorted her through the crowd and a sigh of contentment slipped from her lips as she rested her head against his shoulder. Tonight would be something she would always cherish for the rest of her life. But she couldn't help but feel like something was off. Her lips pulled into a slight frown, and her eyes drifted up to Naruto's face.

Despite his smile, she noticed it didn't quite reach his eyes. His body seemed tense—far too much for just being on a date. It was like he was expecting something to happen. Like he was on a mission and he expected a fight from somewhere…or someone. But then his eyes flickered to another stall and lit up—the excitement and stress melting away for a moment as he began steering them in the direction he was looking.

Maybe he really was just nervous after all? Hinata let out an annoyed sigh that was drowned out by the crowd. She knew something was happening tonight, but he never told her what or when it would happen. Deciding she didn't like the way her thoughts were making her feel, she shrugged them off. If it was really important then he'd tell her. So for now she'd put her trust in him and try to enjoy herself.

Naruto activated his transmitter when Hinata finally stopped trying to spy on him. Asking in a low tone he said, "So situation-wise…" he left the question hanging.

"_Ignoring the fact that we're trying to stop a coup,"_ Jihibiki said.

"_Factor in Murphy's Law,"_ Shikamaru added.

"_And the avoidable casualties we've already accumulated,"_ Shino said.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Sai surmised, _"SNAFU."_

Naruto sighed. Closing his eyes and shaking his head he could already feel the ache in his muscles.

**A/N: Alright folks, we need to talk. Yes I know, I don't show my face for nearly two and a half months and the first thing I want to do instead of giving you a nice, shiny, new chapter is talk. Please just bear with me. First things first I suppose—Naruto ended. There, I said it. The show I've been dedicated to for over five years has come to a close. It was rocky, not gonna lie. Kishimoto did some things I didn't entirely agree with and like a Vietnam vet we came out of it having seen some shit. But I can look past it all. Why? You already know the answer, you were probably fist pumping just like I was and doing happy dances when Naru/Hina was confirmed. **

**And yet…it was so surreal. After spending an hour of screaming and furiously fighting my way through three different manga websites (all of which were bogged down since the entire WORLD trying to read the conclusion of the series) I found myself sitting in my living room staring at the wall. A perpetuating funk flowing through me and all motivation drained. My girlfriend was legitimately concerned about me, but it happened. I'm not ashamed to say I owe a lot to the series, it taught me a lot of things and it's what inspired me to start writing. So knowing it was finally over was just a little…disheartening? Hard to explain I guess but if you were as big of fans as I was then I'm sure you know what I'm talking about, but I digress. The point is the end of the series took the wind out of my sails a bit and was partially the cause for the long gap between updates. **

**The other reason for the extended absence was due to a sort of hybrid funk I fell into, a cross between writer's block and a mid-story crisis. It's finally sunk in this is the halfway point of my story, and after this it's about wrapping up. By no means does this imply the story will slow down and nothing else will happen, but this arc I'm writing has been with me since day one. It was the mile marker for my story. Speaking of which…**

**Guys, we're approaching the 3 year birthday of this story! I can hardly believe it! It's been hard, and I've almost stopped on a few occasions, but because of YOU beautiful readers I've soldiered on. I've learned so much from you, as readers and as critics and I can't even begin telling you how much it's helped me as a writer. So for those of you who have stuck around since day one—I thank you from the bottom of my heart. This leads to my next item…**

**My goal when I entered the world of fanfiction was to write a Naru/Hina story that was entertaining and realistic. And as a fresh, bright-eyed newbie I looked to the greats on this website who are well known. Their styles varied, their stories different, but a common trait they all shared was the amount of reviews. Reviews—the flawed success marker for every story on this site. A fickle term that holds both negative and positive connotation. As a reader you judge a story by its reviews, and yet as an author your desire for them is only trumped by the unprofessionalism of begging for them. And despite that, I decided when I posted my very first chapter I would make it to 1,000 reviews. I was determined to reach it and enter that elite club. **

**My dear readers, I stand before you with a total of 739 Reviews, 816 Favs, 956 Alerts, and honestly…I don't care anymore. If I reach it? Awesome. But the journey we've taken so far has been so much more worth it. So again, thank you for everything. **


	40. TARFU

**Next chapter, as promised. **

**Serious Sam: **So glad to hear that you're enjoying the story and the tension. You're right, it is a tight rope for the men to walk and you'll see the effects. About the Hollow fist, I won't say anything. But you're right about Sasuke and Sakura, they are on their way to the village. And you're also right about Hinata too ;)

**Not-So-GentleFist: **I was a little worried it would seem a little high tech, but then again we never really see special op equipment besides radios. Not to mention the masks are way ahead of their time. But think of it like this, the masks are simply using a resonance beacon seal to track marked targets.

**Jebus21:** Glad you've enjoyed the story and I hope it hasn't ended up being too distracting. I'll admit, I've been waiting ever since the beginning to write these styled chapters.

**Promised to mention this story in my next update. I think a lot of you would appreciate it. **

_**The Price of Your Betrayal** _

**by:** **Averell Torrent**

**Give it a shot guys, it deserves a lot more attention than what it's getting now. **

**Chapter 39: TARFU**

—**21:34 hrs—**

"_Anbu forces are wrapping up the perimeter as we speak,"_ Jihibiki said into Naruto's ear while he paid for two cinnamon buns. _"I.D. has cleared the groups meant to attack there. Their teams are being rerouted to the barrier team and Anbu Headquarters. A total of 28 trigger groups have been subdued."_

Naruto hummed, indicating he understood while at the same time taking a bite of the glazed bun. He could understand why Hinata enjoyed them so much, the things were delicious. He handed the other bun to Hinata, snickering as she forwent social graces and devoured it.

"_As it stands,"_ Jihibiki continued, _"the North and West perimeters are clear. The South shouldn't be too far along, and the East perimeter is on standby. Sector Alpha is cleared. Sector Charlie is cleared. The last two groups are in sector Bravo. One near where you first started, and another a little further along to the north."_

Naruto frowned. He remembered those groups. Turning his head from Hinata and feigning interest in a stall he said, "The crowd was thin there, and the two groups were in line of sight of each other. They'll need to be hit at the same time in order to keep either group from fighting back."

"_Are there any Root teams on location,"_ Sai asked.

"_Negative. The stalls in that area are run by civilians,"_ Jihibiki answered.

Everyone fell silent, processing the information. Two against twenty-two weren't exactly favorable odds.

"_Naruto, Sai, Shino, regroup and progress to targets,_" Shikamaru's order crackled through the seal. _"I'll meet you there. Shino, you're with me—we'll take the northern group while Naruto and Sai take the second one." _

"You heard him," Naruto said, noticed Hinata wandering off towards a stall. Craning his neck to see which one, he cracked a grin saying, "Rendezvous at the flower stall. It's located at the edge of Charlie and Bravo. Shikamaru, I'll signal when we're Oscar Mike."

Three different tisks over the radio told him they understood.

Naruto caught up with Hinata to see what had her so entranced. Giving the stand a once over, he had to admit the variety of flowers was certainly impressive. While he didn't know much about them—even he could appreciate the colors. The hard work the owner put into every piece was obvious. Following Hinata's gaze, he winced when he found she was looking at the center table. Five tiny flowers, each in their own vase, sat in a row. In front of them a sign read,

_The Elemental Orchids_

Without even looking, Naruto knew the prices of those flowers were going to hurt. So despite the foreboding sense of doom to his beloved Gama-chan, Naruto—ever the optimist—asked Hinata if she wanted anything.

She blushed. Not the shy, cute, blush because he was being considerate of her, but the kind of blush that said she knew she'd be asking too much

"I-It's fine Naruto-kun. Don't w-worry about it," she said, and began to look around the rest of the stall. However, her eyes lingered on the orchids for a moment longer.

Naruto sighed. She might as well have begged him for the flowers. And the sad thing was she didn't even realize the effect it had over him. If she ever learned to harness that power for a darker purpose…he shuddered.

When she wasn't looking, he waved the vendor over and pointed to the center table. "How much are those flowers?"

The man glanced at the table, and then back. "You sure?"

"**Well **_**that's**_** reassuring..."** Kurama said not bothering to stifle his laugh.

"Yeah," Naruto answered ignoring the fox. His shoulders slumped, "I'm sure."

The man smiled weakly and gave Naruto an apologetic look. "Four million ryo..."

Naruto winced and then sighed. "That seems about right—"

"Each."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Naruto hissed. Grabbing the man by the robes he pulled him in close, doing his best to maintain some semblance of a whisper. "What the hell do ya mean four million each? Ya tryin' ta rob me?!"

"I-I'm sorry sir," the vendor said. He appeared more worried about Naruto's health than his own. "B-But these are extremely rare flowers! Nearly impossible to acquire due to the harsh environments they grow in."

Naruto eyed the flowers with borderline delirious resentment. "What the hell makes them so damn special?"

Gently removing himself from Naruto he said, "I take it you'd like to surprise your girlfriend with one of them?"

Naruto nodded, feeling too defeated even to argue the façade they weren't dating.

Giving a sympathetic smile, the man ushered him to the side and gestured to the wall. "The elemental orchids are named for the elemental countries they are found in. While all are from the same Genus—each Species is slightly different. This is why they look similar, but their colors and shapes are slightly varied."

At first Naruto didn't understand what the man was doing. Here he was pointing at the wall, but talking about something else entirely. Then Naruto realized Hinata kept glancing at them while perusing the flowers. It clicked. The man had purposely put his back to her so she couldn't read his lips, and his gestures made it look like they were talking about the flowers on the wall. He was helping Naruto surprise her. It almost made him want to tip the man.

Almost.

"However," the man continued pointing to something else on the wall, "the orchids are also named for the respective elemental chakras they absorb."

"Seriously," Naruto blinked. The man nodded and Naruto put a finger to his lips. "So they're kinda like the chakra trees we get our chakra paper from?"

The man nodded vigorously this time and grinned. He obviously enjoyed anything pertaining to flowers. "That's correct shinobi-san, they come from the same Class as it just so happens! But instead of reacting to chakra types like the tree, these orchids retain the element they're named after."

"I don't mean to sound rude," Naruto said frowning, "but if that's the only reason they're considered special then that's a pretty lame reason. It's like me taking grass clippings and saying they're rare because they give off natural chakra."

"Oh you're quite fine, shinobi-san." The man laughed waving him off. "But the reason they're so special is because even after they've been cut they still absorb chakra. In fact, they never wilt or die because the chakra they absorb preserves them."

Pausing for a moment and giving Naruto an appraising look he added, "I must say you certainly know your stuff when it comes to chakra. With your knowledge you must be what, jonin?"

"Genin, actually." Naruto said scowling.

"Really?" The man said raising his eyebrows. "Well your knowledge is impressive and quite extensive for a genin, but…aren't you a little old to be a genin?"

Naruto opened his mouth to tell him it was complicated, but then it dawned on him this man had no idea who he was. It was why the vendor was being so personal with him—the man thought he was simply talking to another customer. No "Naruto-sama," No pedestal. Just one man talking to another.

It was refreshing, and Naruto realized this must've been what the Sandaime meant when he always referred to him as "Jiji." The fact that he'd come full circle in this moment was almost surreal. So maybe it was because of the situation, or the stress of the mission, or perhaps in this one instant he felt like he'd made it to where jiji had been, he laughed. A hard, side splitting laugh that had him bending over holding himself. Genuine and contagious, even the vendor couldn't help but laugh a little despite not having any idea what was happening.

Ignoring the looks around them, and Hinata glancing at them with a smile of her own, Naruto wiped a tear away and took a deep breath. "Man you have no idea how much I needed that,"

"Um…you're welcome?"

"You don't know who I am, do you?" Naruto asked, his smile turning into a foxy smirk.

"I'm terribly sorry shinobi-san, but I'm not from around here."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto," the blonde said inclining his head at the man, and watched as his eyes steadily grew. "Head of the recently instated Uzumaki clan, toad sage of Mt. Myoboku, and 'Hero' of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"U-Uzumaki-sama—!"

"Naruto, if you'd please. You have no idea how refreshing it is to talk normally with someone."

"But Uzu—Naruto-sama doesn't understand!" The man said tearing up and bowing low. "If it wasn't for you, then my wife and I would've most certainly died!"

Naruto's face screwed together as he shook his head. "What? How?"

"During the recent attempted invasion!"

"But that was a month ago," Naruto said. "Why were you and your wife in the village if you're not from here?"

The man's mood did another one-eighty when he smiled proudly. "We came a month early because we were expecting our first child! We knew we'd be near the village when it was time, so we came early. Konoha is hailed for its hospitals after all!

"But then the attack happened, and during the panic I was separated from my wife." The man said turning somber. "When I found her again the shock had sent her into labor. We were stuck, and terrified, and when help finally arrived I remember hearing a roar unlike anything I'd ever heard. And when I looked up, all I could see was a massive wall of debris moving towards us leveling everything in its path…"

Naruto's eyes widened at the description. Nagato's Almighty Push—the one he used to destroy the village. His mood turned somber too, "You died, didn't you."

The man nodded. "I don't remember much of what happened. Only that I was traveling towards light, and my wife was with me with our child in her arms. Then the next second we were being dragged backwards, away from the light. I thought for sure we were being taken to hell, but when I opened my eyes we were alive and unharmed! And even more surprisingly, our child made it too!

"I know it's not much, but from the bottom of my heart, thank you Naruto. I owe you not only my life and the lives of my family, but my happiness as well." Bowing deeply again he said, "I wish I could give you the orchids for free, but I can't afford it. So how about I give you a discount—"

"I'll take them at full price."

"Wha?! Naruto-san, I couldn't possibly…" The man trailed off when he saw Naruto's watery eyes. "Is everything okay, Naruto-san?!"

"Yeah…" Naruto said blinking a few time and clearing his throat. "It's just…you're the first person to really thank me, and explain what happened. To me that means so much more than discounted flowers—no matter how rare."

The man was about to speak when he was interrupted by Hinata. "Is e-everything alright, Naruto-kun?" And despite asking Naruto the question, her wary eyes never left the salesman.

Naruto grinned, and rubbed the back of his head blushing. "Ah, yeah Hina-chan. This man was just thanking me for saving him and his family's lives during the invasion."

"O-Oh, I s-see." Hinata said as her eyes went wide. She turned around quickly saying, "P-Please forgive my intrusion into your conversation!"

"Nonsense," The man smiled, steering her back to them. "I was just telling Naruto-san how I'd like to return my thanks by allowing you to pick anything from this stall, free of charge!"

Hinata blushed lightly, eyes drifting towards the center table. The vendor winced, saying with a grimace, "Except the orchids…I'm sorry."

"N-No I am!" Hinata said averting her gaze and blushing darker. "I was being far too presumptuous. I k-know how expensive and rare they are."

"Perhaps something from this wall," the man said motioning to the wall by them. "A nice accent piece to go with your lovely dress."

Hinata gave a small smile at the compliment, and nodded gratefully. As she skimmed the wall, Naruto glanced out into the crowd catching the black arrows indicating Sai, and a little further behind him, Shino, moving his way.

Turning to the table Naruto pulled out a small storage scroll and pen. Double checking to make sure Hinata was still preoccupied—he began to scribble out a message. When he finished, he blew it dry and turned back to the vendor.

Grinning and rubbing the back of his head Naruto asked, "Do you take checks?"

The man blinked, but shook his head. "No not usually. We're not from around here so we only take cash. However, for you I'd be willing to make an exception. I'd like to believe the 'Hero' of the Hidden Leaf has a reputation to uphold."

Naruto let out a breath and nodded appreciatively. Writing out a number on a check, he tore it out and handed it to the man along with the scroll saying, "I'll make a clone to come back and get them."

The man looked at the check and his mouth fell open. "N-Naruto-san! I can't accept this!"

"What? Why not? You just said you'd take a check!"

The man opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, but still nothing came out. He looked down at the check, and slowly reread the numbers just to make sure he hadn't gotten them wrong. Staring back up at him was the number twenty million. He'd hoped to sell at least _one_ of the orchids at the festival, but not all five! And certainly not all at the same time!

"A-Are you sure," he asked quietly looking at Hinata, and then back to Naruto. "This is a large sum of money."

Naruto smiled and waved him off. "Don't worry about it. I've been saving my money since I could remember. Not to mention the funds I recently inherited are almost sickeningly large. If it makes her smile, then it's worth it."

The man nodded smiling softly. "You love her very much don't you?"

Naruto stiffened, his eyes shifting between the florist and Hinata. Then he sighed. "I also owe her my life…Surely you can understand that?"

The man's eyes widened slightly before nodding, and put the check and scroll in his pocket.

"I-Is this alright," Hinata asked rejoining them. On her head was a simple band, made of woven red and orange leaves accented by yellow flowers. If Naruto had to guess he'd say lilies, he wasn't entirely sure though. But it looked beautiful on her, and matched her dress near perfectly. She blushed from the stares she received from both men, and gave a shy smile.

"Of course it is, my dear!" The man grinned. "I was right in suggesting that wall, it fits you wonderfully."

"Thank you very much," Hinata said bowing.

"No, thank you very much," the vendor said, returning the bow to both of them.

"Naruto!"

Hearing his name, Naruto and Hinata turned to find Sai, Samui, Shino, and Tamamushi all waiting outside the stall. Thanking the man one last time, they left the stall. As they did, Hinata failed to see Naruto make his signature hand sign, or for the clone that appeared behind him to quickly duck under a table.

When Naruto and Hinata joined the group, the girls quickly detached from their dates and formed their own bubble ahead, giving the men a chance to talk.

"Shikamaru," Naruto said activating his seal, "we've regrouped. Oscar Mike to location, E.T.A. three minutes."

"_Copy that,"_ Shikamaru said.

Naruto glanced at his watch.

**20:38**

"Okay," Naruto said nodding, "we've got just over twenty minutes to finish this phase before the fireworks. As soon as these last two groups are dealt with we'll be moving on to phase-two. Somehow we're ahead of schedule. Sai will link up with the squads at the Hyuuga estate, Shikamaru will aid the barrier team, and Shino will head to the Anbu Headquarters. I'll stay by the Hokage until I receive the all clear. Once the village is secure we'll then proceed to phase-three. Understood?"

Naruto received two nods and a tisk over the radio. The plan was progressing smoothly to his surprise and pleasure. The target groups had been easier to deal with thanks to the spare Root forces hidden in the crowd. It was a load off his shoulders knowing that the most delicate part of the mission was almost over. After that it would be nothing more than mopping up what was left of the rebels.

They made slower time through the crowd than what Naruto had anticipated. The crowd had thickened in the area of their targets which was good, but made maneuvering more difficult. Of course, this was assuming the crowd was still there when they arrived at their targets. The flow of foot traffic was a difficult thing to predict.

Shikamaru was the first to get into position. He managed to distract Temari with a group of traveling thespians, telling her he'd get some snacks for them. As she watched the show, the Nara heir backed into an alley and allowed the shadows he manipulated to swallow him.

"_In position,"_ Shikamaru said. Giving the area a quick glance, he said, _"Shino, there's a gap between two stalls near my location. It should provide the cover you need."_

Shino tisked his radio in confirmation and turned to Tamamushi. He whispered something to her, earning a brief look of confusion. Then she nodded, and grabbed Hinata and Samui's attention.

"Bathroom break," she asked. The other two blushed at the forwardness of her question, especially in front of their dates, but nodded, and Naruto sent a silent prayer to the heavens.

God bless the wily, stoic, Aburame.

"W-We'll be right back, Naruto-kun." Hinata said.

"We'll be in the area," Naruto replied nodded, and the girls disappeared into the crowd.

Once they were gone Shino gave them a nod and slid between two stalls, moving invisibly between them and the buildings to the location Shikamaru mentioned. Naruto motioned to Sai and the two moved on, the red and yellow arrows appearing above the crowd once they came into range. Slowing their pace, a frown appeared on Naruto as they surveyed the scene. The crowd was still thin here, and just like before the two groups were in line of sight of each other.

"This is problematic," Sai said while his eyes shifted between targets.

"Shikamaru, can Mercy reach all four of us?" Naruto asked.

"_No. I can get Shino, but the distance between me, you, and Sai is too great. I can't stretch my control that far when we're so spread out."_

"_We'll need a distraction then,"_ Shino said. _"Any ideas?"_

Naruto clicked his tongue in response as he looked around for ideas. Then his eyes landed on a particular stall, and a devious grin appeared.

"Follow me," he said, and they slid out of the crowd and behind the stalls.

Crossing his fingers, Naruto created five clones which then proceeded to henge into children a little younger than the Konohamaru corps. Running back into the street as a group, Naruto radioed Shikamaru.

"Standby and be ready to move," Naruto ordered.

"_What's the signal?"_ Shikamaru asked.

"You'll know it when you see it." Naruto answered. Turning to Sai he said, "I'll take this group. Be ready to secure the trigger agent when I'm done."

Sai nodded, and the two settled down in preparation. A minute later Naruto's henged clones ran through the area laughing and screaming. Three of them chased after the other two throwing paper shuriken back and forth. Once they came between the Hyuuga groups, a paper shuriken grazed the leg of a clone being chased, and he fell down with a mock scream clutching it.

"Leave me!" The clone said dramatically pulling out a plastic kunai.

"No way," his partner cried out. "I never leave a man behind!"

The ruckus began to draw the attention of the crowd, and they watched with amused smiles. While children playing ninja was nothing new, the games always become more entertaining when stalls at the village festivals sold fake shinobi tools. Premade paper shuriken, blunt plastic kunai, and weak smoke bombs were favorites among the kids.

Standing up with a fake limp the clone said, "There's too many of them. We'll never make it."

"Never give up!" The other clone said digging around in his pocket.

"Get ready," Naruto mutter into his transmitter. Pulling out four small balls, the clone threw them down shouting at the same time Naruto did, "GO!"

Naruto blurred forward into the wall of smoke, the weak smoke bombs' combined power enough to blot out the entire section of the street. Silhouettes of yellow and red were the only indicators of his targets in the obscured atmosphere. They were already forming a defensive circle with the trigger agent in the middle when Retribution flashed rings around the targets' heads, indications they'd activated their bloodlines. Eleven heads began to turn in his direction.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto threw his hand forward and a chakra chain erupted from his palm. Blitzing forward, it snaked between one Hyuuga's legs and wrapped around the trigger agent's. Grabbing the chain with his hand, Naruto yanked back hard while retracting the chain. The man hit the ground and flew towards Naruto, knocking over the guard in the process. Ducking, the trigger agent sailed over Naruto, and as he did Naruto moved his other hand forward slapping a suppression seal onto the man's back.

"Sai, grab him!" Naruto ordered once the trigger agent passed him. He didn't wait for a response, moving forward confident his brother would follow through. A second later a soft grunt signaled Sai had caught and secured the target.

"_Shit,"_ Shikamaru suddenly muttered. _"SHIT! Shino!"_

A blurry wave appeared, and pulsed out over the area before vanishing. Naruto recognized it as Mercy's time manipulation, and cold apprehension washed over him. Not that he could stop and ask what was happening though. Instead he pressed on, his sprint ending when he dropped mid stride and slide tackled one of the Hyuugas while crossing his fingers. Twenty clones burst into existence—their smoke adding more to the confusion.

The Branch members didn't stand a chance. Two on one with Naruto's superior taijutsu sent every Hyuuga to the ground in a matter of seconds, each sporting a seal. Ten clones dispelled themselves prolonging the smoke screen a little more, while the other ten gathered up the Hyuuga and sprinted back to where Sai was waiting.

He was about to follow his clones when Shikamaru cursed over the radio again saying, _"Naruto, help us move the bodies!"_

Naruto's head snapped over his shoulder to see seven bodies lying on the street. Shino and Shikamaru's silhouettes moved towards the alley each carrying two.

The smoke was thinning, causing Naruto's heart to slam against his chest. It was only a matter of seconds before the crowd saw the bodies. His body twisted towards the ones in the street, the built up torsion springing him forward as he shouted, "Gimme a pulse!"

The same expansion of blurred, invisible chakra flowed outwards again, and this time when it reached him everything came to a halt. He crossed his fingers, seven clones exploding to life and quickly moving ahead. Gathering the bodies, they started to move towards Shikamaru when Mercy's time barrier began to waver.

Then it collapsed.

Naruto's breath wedged in his throat as he watched his clones try to beat the collapsing wave back to the alley. The shrinking bubble was moving faster than his clones. They wouldn't make it in time. And for the briefest moment, Naruto's hands pressed against the cool metal concealed within his sleeve—the kanji engraved into the metal whispering promises they wouldn't be seen.

But he couldn't throw it inside Shikamaru's time zone. Not without breaking the sound barrier. If he did then he could panic the crowd, and instigate the remaining rebels to start the coup early. Not to mention it was his ace. He didn't want to reveal it early. He was stuck.

The last clone was still in the street when the barrier passed Naruto returning him to normal time flow. He held his breath as the wall slipped over him and his eyes tracked the clone.

It vanished from sight.

There was a brief pause. One in which Naruto's mind registered his clone had made it. The extra moment spent in the alternate time zone long enough for the clone to reach the alley, if only barely.

Naruto let out a breath, and glanced to the side. A child stared at him wide-eyed, frozen in mid lick of his ice shavings. He'd seen what happened—sort of. Probably appeared as if the Hyuuga had vanished and Naruto had replaced them to the kid. So Naruto gave the boy a mischievous smile, pressed his fingers to his lips, and winked. The boy nodded unblinkingly before running away.

Letting out a low groan as he unclenched his fist, Naruto moved through the dissipating smoke to the alley where Shikamaru and Shino were, utilizing the extra time in an attempt to calm his raving heart.

"What happened," Naruto asked entering the alley.

Mercy crumbled away from Shikamaru's face in wisps of black smoke revealing his gasps for air. "The trigger agent…anticipated our attack. As soon as the…smoke bombs went off he was…moving with his Byakugan active. He…He dodged my shadow bind, and tried to activate the bombs."

Naruto nodded, "So that was why I saw the first pulse."

Shikamaru nodded. "The first time wasn't a…problem. Shino easily drained the Branch Members…but we couldn't move the bodies fast enough. It's hard…enough maintaining the barrier while keeping…still. It was impossible for me to keep it up while we…moved."

Naruto frowned, taking note of Shikamaru's gasps and beading sweat on his face. "Still struggling to use the time manipulation on teammates from a distance."

The shadow user scowled, but nodded. He was upset with himself, and Naruto couldn't blame him. Shikamaru had worked himself into the ground trying to increase the range of Mercy's time manipulation to others. Unfortunately, progress had been stiflingly slow—the further someone was from him when he activated the pulse, the harder it was for that person to enter his time flow, and the less control he had over the amount of time the pulse lasted. Not to mention, as it showed now, it took a lot out of him too.

"Don't worry about it," Naruto said resting a hand on his shoulder. "It worked, and with these two groups secured phase-one is over. Recover some of your strength and then prepare to move out."

Straightening up and looking out into the crowd Naruto said, "Sector Bravo is clear. I need two extraction teams to retrieve the bodies. Also, inform the other teams we're ready to move on to the next phase."

"_Copy that,"_ Jihibiki's voice crackled back.

Naruto let out a relieved breath, but no smile reached his lips. He looked at his watch.

**20:42**

They were ahead of schedule. The entire mission had run smoothly without as much as a single hiccup, apart from what had just happened. Something was off though. Like he was looking right at trap, but couldn't see it.

"_This is irritating! _He frowned. _"Paranoia maybe?"_

"**We're missing something,"** Kurama confirmed. **"How's that saying go: If it's going according to plan then it's probably a trap."**

Naruto's already tense shoulders grew even tighter. They missed something? After all the planning, careful mission assigning, and countermeasures they still overlooked some detail? His teeth ground together as his mind rapidly reviewed everything he knew. But no matter what angle he looked from, he couldn't find anything.

Maybe it was just him? Maybe his nerves combined with the stress were getting to him.

"**You know that's not true." **Kurama growled anxiously.** "Check with the others."**

"Jihibiki, any problems to report?" Naruto asked.

"_Apart from five trigger agents being killed as a last resort, no."_ Jihibiki answered. _"The rerouted squads from I.D. are taking longer to link up with the rest of the forces due to the crowds, but they should be regrouping soon. E.T.A. two minutes."_

Naruto glanced at his watch.

**20:43**

He closed his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We're missing something…"

"What d-do you mean, Naruto-kun," Hinata asked. Naruto jerked violently, and spin around to the girls.

Seeing the pale look on his face, Hinata's own eyes filled with concern and she frowned. He was jumpy, tense, and worst of all distant. She wanted to talk to him, ask him what was wrong, but as she closed the distance between them she was abruptly blocked by Shino. An unspoken conversation passing between the three men in an instant, and when she tried to brush past Shino he caught her arm firmly.

"No," was all he said—his tone more than enough to give her pause. Years of working together allowed her to read his body language, and right now he wasn't only tense—he was scared and uncertain. She glanced at Shikamaru and despite his usual look, beneath the façade of tired boredom, fear and trepidation was roiling within. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And as Shino led the girls away, Hinata looked at Naruto one last time. His jaw clenched tightly while muttering something to Shikamaru, but not entirely speaking to him.

"_Naruto, you're over thinking this,_" Jihibiki said. _"You boys put together a brilliant plan. The fact that everything is running so smoothly only proves how well prepared you were."_

Sai appeared from the crowd and activated his own radio. "I'm with Naruto, something is wrong."

"They're right," Shikamaru added. "Something's off."

"_Regardless of whether or not you all feel something is wrong, we need to proceed with the plans."_ Jihibiki said. _"We have no indication of something happening behind the scenes. To stop now when we're so close to finishing would be ridiculous as well as catastrophic."_

Everyone was silent for second, each consumed in their own thoughts. If something did happen, the village might not recover. Even with the alliance. They couldn't afford to fuck up.

"It's your call, Naruto." Shikamaru said looking at him.

Naruto's scowl tightened and his teeth clenched so hard he felt like his jaw would never stop aching. He wasn't crazy—the others felt something was wrong too. But at the same time Jihibiki was right as well, the mission needed to continue. Naruto's eyes fell to his watch again.

**20:45**

They needed to continue pressing forward. Inaction breeds failure. They were in too deep, they couldn't stop now.

"Proceed to phase-two," Naruto finally said. "Sai, link up with your squads and get ready. I want you ready to move as soon as the first firework is lit, and that estate secured before it goes off! Shikamaru, Shino, and I will get the girls to the Hokage. From there, you and Shino will proceed to your assigned areas. Fast, quiet, and no mistakes. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can regroup. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Shikamaru, find Temari and link up with Shino," Naruto said jerking his head out into the crowd. "I'll meet you there."

Shikamaru nodded and disappeared into the fray. Once he was gone, Naruto let out a massive sigh and slumped against the alleyway. His shoulders sagged low as he dragged a hand down his face, trying to stretch his already low energy even thinner.

It was absurd. He was exhausted, but he hadn't exerted any energy—the surface of his reserves barely scratched. Yet he felt as if he'd been fighting three days straight, spamming nothing but high level jutsu.

Then there was Hinata. The woman was smart, and he'd only be insulting her intelligence if he thought she was still unaware of something going on. It was only a matter of time now—he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. Every group he'd taken out had become more and more difficult to handle because of her. She was noticing his absences, and he was running out of excuses for them.

A firm hand squeezed his shoulder, and Naruto looked up. Sai was fairing no better. He could see the weariness plaguing his body, too. His overly tensed muscles the only thing keeping him upright at this point.

"You sent him away," he said. No words of encouragement. They were beyond that at this point. So he settled with an observation mixed with appreciation.

"Never let your subordinates see weakness," Naruto said. "They must always see their leader as the embodiment of strength. In turn this gives them strength, and effectively brings out the true strength of a leader—his subordinates."

Sai nodded his head, and then tilted it. "So what's that make me?"

"You already know the answer to that," Naruto said, slowly standing upright. Aching pain coursed through his entire body, his limbs nearly shaking from the constant tension. "A family openly bears their weaknesses to each other because they know they'll be supported. It's a different kind of strength."

Sai said nothing and settled for a smile. But it didn't last long.

"Get moving," Naruto said making his way out of the alley. "I'll see you when we regroup."

He didn't wait for a response. He just slipped back into the flow of the street, and disappeared among the faces. They were beyond asking one another to complete their tasks at this point too. It was understood.

Do not fail. Keep her safe.

His eyes flitted to his watch again, it was becoming a habit.

**20:47**

While he navigated the crowd, Naruto's mind wandered to Hinata's face when she was leaving. The guilt he felt sliding between his ribs like a blade. His gait slowed, and his fists clenched. She knew something was wrong now. Not only that, but she probably thought he didn't care about their date. While untrue, he couldn't deny he was more focused on other things. That didn't stop the guilt from building in his chest though. How long had she been waiting for this? For him? And here he was simply using it as a cover.

He doubted he'd ever be able to look in the mirror again.

Naruto was shaken from his self-loathing when Shino's voice broke through the radio, the wake of his words causing cold nausea to wash over everyone listening, _"We have a situation. Naruto, Shikamaru, regroup _now_!"_

Naruto shoved his way through the crowd to Shino, who was at a stall he'd distracted the girls with. Hinata looked at him, not even trying to sneak a glance. He ignored her, and moved to Shino while shoving his guilt down even further.

Coming up beside him, Shino picked up a small trinket and showed it to Naruto saying, "Eight o'clock, standing next to the telephone pole."

Naruto looked out the corner of his eyes, and squinted through the crowd. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, just people laughing and enjoying the night. Still confused, Naruto found the pole and followed it down to a group of men talking. One of them had his head tilted back laughing, but when he brought it down…

"I thought you tagged all of them?!" Naruto hissed, his head snapping back to Shino.

"I did," Shino answered. "Or at least I was under the impression I had."

"Jihibiki, is that Hyuuga showing up on the map?" Naruto asked. His mouth was going dry, and his heart seemed hell bent on escaping his throat.

"_No,"_ Jihibiki said. _"He's chuunin level, but he isn't color coded."_

Naruto's eyes whipped to Shino's. If they'd missed this one how many more did they miss? Maybe it had just been one, Shino wasn't perfect after—

"_I just picked up a bogie at the edge of Alpha. No color marker,"_ Shikamaru said.

The silence that followed was consumed by rampant, dread-filled thoughts. And while wordless, they effectively drowned out the silent space between them all.

"Everyone calm down," Naruto ordered. It was bad enough they'd missed two Hyuugas, the last thing they needed was to panic and do something drastic. Taking a slow breath Naruto said, "Shino, is it possible your Kikiachu died and we lost his marker."

"No," Shino answered. "They simply transported the marker. Once it's placed my insects do not need to remain on the target for Justice to keep track."

"Then how—"

"I don't _know_," Shino said, the strain of the mission beginning to crack his calm exterior. "But I began running a facial recognition with all our Hyuuga profiles the moment I saw him. It shouldn't be too much longer."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "Shikamaru, send a picture of your tango to Shino as well."

Naruto received a tisk from Shikamaru and tried to school his face. So much for going according to plan. If the Hyuugas ended up being hostile then there was a strong possibility the Anbu perimeter had been breached. Not the most comforting thought.

They didn't last long though because Shino turned to him saying, "We have a problem."

"_No,"_ Shikamaru said through the radio before appearing out of the crowd pulling Temari. "We've got a _huge_ fucking problem!"

Naruto grit his teeth as a massive headache started splitting his head. He jammed his thumb and index fingers into his eyes, and pressed against them—turning the searing pain into a dull throb. He took a breath, held it, and let it out slowly. When he finally opened his eyes he found everyone staring at him, even the girls.

Things were getting out of hand. Hopefully they wouldn't get too far out of control. Hopefully…

Doing his best to ignore the women he pointed at Shino, "You first."

Shino hesitated for a second. Then he realized Naruto didn't care about discrepancy anymore. So ignoring the fact that all the girls were listening he said, "I've made a match. Hyuuga Eto, Branch Member and supporter of the Main family."

Naruto locked eyes with Shikamaru, his confusion only overcome by the screaming voice in the back of his mind. "But wouldn't that make him…"

"A hostage, yes." Shino nodded.

Naruto rubbed his forehead as Shikamaru muttered, "What the _fuck_?"

That's always a great sign.

"And your problem," Naruto asked the shadow user, unable to suppress the trepidation filling him.

"I scanned my tango to make sure he wasn't forced into cooperating via genjutsu," Shikamaru said.

"And?" Naruto asked, unable to stop the icy fear slinking across his skin.

Shikamaru didn't reply. Instead he walked past Naruto, grabbed Temari's hand, and began leading her towards a side street before saying, "We need to rethink our strategy."

Naruto's mouth fell open when Shikamaru's mask linked with his and the image uploaded. His breath became shaky, and he could literally feel the blood draining from his face. He knew this seal. He'd become extremely intimate with it over the past month, using it as practice for his calligraphy while at the same time stock piling them.

The class one explosive tag—a.k.a. the Blockbuster. So aptly named for its ability to level an entire city block.

Eto was carrying five.

Hinata came to Naruto and grabbed his hand, uneasy and worried. She nearly yelped when he gripped her hand tightly and started pulling her, following Shikamaru. Behind him, Shino ushered Tamamushi and Samui to follow.

"N-Naruto-kun, what's going on," Hinata asked, the uneasy sickness in her stomach growing. Naruto's teeth pressed together before opening his mouth.

"_Root squads are reporting Hyuugas all over the place!" _Jihibiki said suddenly, _"They're coming out of nowhere!"_

Cold terror stopped Naruto, and he whipped around just like Shino and Shikamaru. Their eyes landed on two Hyuugas walking down the street, the pair appearing from nowhere. Their masks pierced the robes and blinked frantically—identifying the massive payloads the men were carrying.

Naruto's eyes flicked to his watch.

**20:52**

Jihibiki's voice crackled through the radio. His words summing up their thoughts. _"God help us…"_

* * *

><p>Atop the Hokage monument, a crimson eye glared down at the festival from behind a mask.<p>

"**The clones are in place,"** Zetsu said morphing out of the ground. **"It won't be too long till they're found."**

"That's not a problem. They'll serve their purpose."

"**Seems a bit wasteful though."**

"The threat had to be real," Madara said turning to the black human-plant hybrid. "Now with everyone's attention scattered we'll be able to move freely."

"**To the Hyuuga compound then?"**

"No. Not yet." Madara said turning his eye back to the village. "We're going to make a short detour first—to the I.D. prison."

"**Eh? You never mentioned anything like that before,"** Zetsu said frowning slightly. **"What are you planning?"**

A vortex appeared and sucked Madara into his personal dimension. "Their despair."

**A/N: Next update will be Monday. Try to hang in there until then!**


	41. FIDO

**A/N: Well judging from the title I guess a few of you were wrong on your guess :p Sorry for the slight delay, I needed it for this one. **

**Chapter 40: FIDO**

—**20:49 hrs—**

Sai surveyed the wall one last time. Clear. That could either be a good or bad sign, and he wouldn't know until he was inside. He checked his watch on more time, and looked over his shoulder.

Thirty-nine blank masks stared back at him from the shadows provided by village wall. There was ten meters of open space between the village wall and the Hyuuga estate's wall, with no cover between the two. Crossing unseen was improbable, not to mention the silhouettes they'd create climbing over the wall. Even with the skeleton crew maintaining the security tonight, they'd most likely get caught. No. If they were going to enter the estate unseen they'd have to do something a little more covert.

Sai turned to Atlas, his infiltration specialist, and nodded. The man was a legend in Root. One of a few who'd fought in the last war and survived. During that time he'd earned the reputation as a master of assassination, infiltration, and, during the later years of his career, a bit of a wild card. He retired just before the end of the war, when the peace talks first began. He was admired by all, but Sai would admit the man was a bit of an idol to him. Why? Because Atlas started a new life after he left Root. He even married and had a child. It gave Sai hope that one day—he might be able to do what Atlas accomplished. He felt slightly guilty pulling him out of retirement, but when he'd mentioned it to the man, Atlas had jumped aboard instantly. He seemed almost excited, and Sai knew why.

Atlas slowly made four hand seals, taking his time to ensure he was using the bare minimum for the jutsu. The plan was simple, but completely different from the original one. Before, four teams were supposed to breach the walls of the estate from four different sides, subduing all Hyuuga within the compound as they converged on one point. When they learned of the hostages, Shikamaru and Sai were forced back to the drawing board. And after spending hours staring at the blueprints of the Hyuuga estate, the two Night Angels finally came up with a new plan. One breach, at the least guarded section of the wall, and the teams would diverge from there.

Atlas placed his hands on the ground, and a meter by meter hole opened leading into the earth. The infiltration specialist jumped down the hole, swallowed up by the shadows as the rest of them waited quietly. Thirty seconds later a low whistle echoed from the darkness.

Wordlessly looking at his men, Sai flicked his fingers forward. Fifteen seconds later Sai jumped down the hole, and the earth closed up behind him leaving no traces of their presence.

Total darkness enveloped them. The only signs of each other's presences were soft breaths and the warmth radiating from their bodies from the close proximity. Then there was a click, and the hole illuminated from a flashlight revealing a small room the small Root force was packed into. At the far end, Atlas had his hands pressed against the wall awaiting Sai's order.

Sai pushed through his men, frowning under his mask at the unease building in his chest. It wasn't that he didn't like being underground, but something felt off. It had started after he'd finished phase-one with the others, and it had been steadily growing since then. He wanted to ignore it, but his instincts were telling him not too. And if there's one thing he learned during his time in Root—it was trust your instincts.

"We're four meters deep," Atlas said when he stopped next to him. Sai nodded. Any deeper and the amount of chakra to push through the earth would be noticed by the guards, any shallower and they risked being seen by a guard's activated dojutsu.

Sai channeled chakra to his eyes and Vengeance came to life. A moment later the HUD shifted from his periphery to the center. Lifting his hand, he tapped a finger forward on a tab only he could see. The HUD flickered and disappeared, replaced by a map of the Hyuuga estate in his original periphery. To the left of the estate wall he could see a green mass, him and the rest of the Root operatives. He checked his watch.

**20:49**

"Let's go," Sai ordered.

Atlas nodded, and the wall his hands were pressed against began to melt away creating a tunnel—big enough for two men to fit through, and tall enough so they only had to bend slightly. It was a tedious process, Atlas once again using the bare minimum for the jutsu so they'd remain undetected. The Root forces were reduced to a bent shuffle, following behind the earth manipulator as he inched forward. And with ever step, Sai's anxiety continued to build.

Two brief taps on Atlas' shoulder brought him to a halt directly under the estate wall.

"Five meters," Sai instructed. He looked at his watch feeling the strain of time.

**21:51**

Atlas went through his hands seals again. The earth melted away once more, and they continued forward. Two meters in though, Atlas froze mid-step.

"Taichou, I'm detecting another earth user's chakra."

Root or not, the entire infiltration force stiffened. A stagnant tension hung in the tunnel as breaths were collectively held.

"Sensory jutsu," Sai asked quietly.

Atlas was quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "Negative, it's a residual chakra. The earth ahead of us has been moved. I can't tell when, but it was a massive excavation."

"Signs of life?"

"None," Atlas confirmed.

Sai frowned. Hyuuga didn't use elemental jutsu, which meant whatever lay ahead was created by someone else. The voice in his mind returned full force, and his body tension rose as he thought through his options.

"Proceed with caution," Sai ordered, and turned to the rest of his men. "Weapons free. Delta squad, on me. Stack up for breach."

After some cramped shuffling Sai's team assembled in a line, and the operative behind him rested a hand on his left shoulder. Sai adjusted the position of his tanto in his left hand, and in the other held a kunai in a reverse grip. Atlas pressed against the side of the tunnel to give room, and put his hand on the wall.

For two brief seconds everything was still.

Then the operative squeezed Sai's shoulder, and his heart slammed in his chest. He never liked breaches—mostly because he was always the first one in. And despite Atlas said about the room being empty, he wasn't leaving his life up to chance. He took a breath, felt adrenalin spike his blood, and nodded to Atlas.

There was a small, sharp burst of chakra. A light crack as the wall crumbled away. And Sai shot forward.

Everything slowed as he moved through the hole, like he was in Mercy's time manipulation. The flashlight attached to the side of his mask cut through the slowly undulating dust rising up, and flooded the cavern giving him a brief layout. Roots hung from the ceiling in two rows in intervals before reburying themselves in the floor. Then, his world reduced to terse observations, reactions, and commands.

Exhale.

Clear right. Scan left. Hug wall. Stay low. Move fast.

He slipped on something oily, righted himself, glanced down. Mounds covered in some kind of material around the edges of the walls. Avoid them. His eyes flicked back up.

Inhale.

Roots blocking view of room. Corner of wall reached. Move along next wall. Check behind row of roots. Clear.

Exhale.

Move up. Check row of roots. Clear. Move up. Check roots. Clear. Back wall reached. Friendly across the way. No signs of enemies. Room clear.

Time seemed to warp forward, and Sai took a staggered step as the rush faded away.

He glanced around the room, took a breath to give an order, and gagged as a wave of death invaded his senses. His eyes watered, and his hand shot up covering his burning nostrils while he retched behind his mask. The undeniable stench of rotting flesh permeated the room—caustic vapors of methane, sulfates, and ammonia threatening to close his throat. Fighting his bile back down, he heard his men having similar reactions as they gagged and choked on the festering air.

They may've been Root, but not even they could ignore their sense when caught off guard.

An involuntary shiver ran down Sai's back while he suppressed his sense of smell as best he could. "Find out where that smell's coming from," he ordered. "And stay away from those roots. I'm getting a strange reading from them."

In truth, Vengeance was indicating a faint chakra signature radiating from the plants, and Sai didn't know what to make of it. It was concerning to say the least, and unease filled him more every second they spent in the room. He felt like they were being watched, and more often than not, when he had that feeling they were.

A low groan caught Sai's attention, and his head snapped down to his feet. It had come from the mound next to him. Kneeling down cautiously next to it, he examined the material and realized it was burlap buried halfway in the earth. Grabbing one end, he pulled it back slowly until he saw…hair? His breath hitched as he ripped the burlap back and froze.

A Hyuuga corpse stared back at him through empty sockets. Its body decayed and bloated. The face and neck swollen, skin black and green and covered in rot blisters. Worms wriggled across the body while they gorged on flesh, and dark fluids ran from the mouth, nose, and eyes. The abrupt movement of the body caused the gases trapped inside to escape through the throat again, and a putrid moan echoed in the room. But the worst thing by far, and what sent Sai's instinct hay-wire, was the faint blue light bathing the edge of the body.

It was a hostage. And seconds later a profile picture appeared before Sai's eyes.

Hyuuga Eto.

Dread started to trickle through his body as he slowly turned to the other mounds. One by one, his men pulled back burlap revealing corpses outlined in blue light. His fists clenched together while his mind raced. Why had they been killed? But more importantly…

"I want a head count," Sai ordered standing up. "Bones!"

"Sir," the man responded coming forward.

"Get me a time of death."

Without another word, Bones was kneeling down next to the corpse and pulling on gloves. He felt the body in a few places, examined the fluids seeping from it, and then pulled out a digital thermometer. After a moment he nodded, and then checked the humidity of the room.

Pulling off his gloves, Bones stood up saying, "Time of death is no more than five days."

Sai's eyebrows furrowed. Five days? How could nobody notice these people missing for five days? Before he could think on it any further he was interrupted.

"Taichou, we counted twenty bodies."

Sai grit his teeth. Twenty people missing and nobody noticed. His eyes roamed over the room until they fell on the strange roots again. Another anomaly he didn't have an answer too or explanation for. Following them down from the ceiling, his heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized what he was looking at. They didn't go into the ground, they went into more mounds!

His flashlight skipped around the room as he counted the rows. "One…four…seven, eight."

Eight more bodies?

"Check the mounds at the base of the roots!" Sai said moving towards one. "And _don't_ touch them!"

Once again Sai knelt down beside the mound almost completely enwrapped in tiny rootlets. He took a guess at one end, and slowly peeled the rotting burlap back. He got as far as what would've been the nose before he gasped and stood up. His heart slammed in his chest as he whirled around the room looking at every corpse being revealed in the roots. Gold light bathed every single one of them.

The Hyuuga Elders.

"Jihibiki we have a situation," Sai shouted while snapping his fingers, and then circling them in the air. Instantly, the squads were up and moving towards the back wall. Sai's heart pounded even harder when he received no response. "Jihibiki do you copy?"

Silence.

"Does anyone copy?" Sai asked straining to hear anything while glancing at his watch.

**20:54**

"Atlas, get us top side now!" Sai said. The others needed to know about his discovery, and he was silently hoping it was because they were underground that he couldn't get through to anyone.

Atlas risked a little more chakra and pushed forward quicker, which thankfully wasn't that much further. Without even waiting for an order he opened the ceiling above them and they were greeted by the stars and trees.

"_Echo squad, secure area."_ Sai signaled, and the squad sprinted up the sides of the hole and disappeared into the night. After a few seconds of no response Sai began to tense even more. It shouldn't take this long to secure the area. Had they already been compromised?

A nightingale briefly sang, and Sai's eyes widened. It was a secondary signal—if they were using that instead of the radios then something was wrong with their equipment. Sai clenched his teeth and quietly used the most colorful words in his vocabulary to curse Murphy. Being the first one out the hole, he tried not to enjoy the fresh air too much and found Echo squad's captain.

"_Batteries?" _Sai signaled.

"_Radio dark," _the captain signaled back.

Sai's shoulders tightened as he activated his own radio, "Mike check. Mike check."

He turned to the captains of Zulu and Gamma who signaled the same thing, _"Radio dark."_

Trepidation began constricting around his chest. He activated the seal in his tooth whispering, "Jihibiki do you copy?"

Static exploded in his ear causing him to flinch hard, and sent shivers running down his spine as the open frequency squealed. They were completely dark. It wasn't some accident or coincidence that the seals Naruto made had gone faulty too. It could only mean one thing, and it made Sai sick to his stomach.

Someone was jamming their communications. They'd been compromised. And there was only one thing they could do at this point. His eyes flicked down to his watch, and he ground his teeth.

**20:56**

Hands moving so rapidly they nearly blurred, he gave his orders.

"_Comms dark. Operation compromised."_

Echo's captain was the first to respond. _"Abort?"_

"FIDO," Sai responded. "We're in too deep."

"_Orders?" _Gamma's captain asked.

"_Zulu secure grid. Delta, Gamma, Echo secure hostages. Atlas on me. We go one minute early. R.O.E.—kill on site."_

His men stiffened. Not at the mission being compromised or the fact they were walking into an ambush, but at the timeframe given. They were good, but they weren't fucking miracle workers.

Zulu's squad leader broke silence. "Permission to use Windsingers?"

Sai scowled. He didn't want to use them. Like Naruto, he had his own ace in the hole. And like his brother he was hoping to save them for the war. But his luck was against him tonight. He was just glad he'd decided to bring them—better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

"Break them out," Sai grunted. The words barely left his lips, and plumes of smoke were already appearing throughout the squads as they unsealed their secret weapons. Sai shook his head as he unsealed his own. Like kids with new toys.

Holding the contraption in one arm, Sai grabbed a metal bolt on the right side and pulled back, sliding a metal sheath back to reveal a shallow chamber. He placed a storage tag inside face down, and spared a second to glance over his men to make sure they were ready. This last part was sure to draw attention.

Thirty-nine masks peered back patiently, if not eagerly. Sai nodded his head saying, "Remember, these are only prototypes so don't rely on them." Everyone nodded at his warning. "Let's lock and load."

Audible clicks were heard all over as they released the bolts allowing them to slide back, and then pulsed their chakras activating the storage tags. Immediately voices began to call out and order the area investigated, followed by footsteps headed in their direction.

The squads said nothing, vanishing and going to their separate objectives. Their point of entry was convenient at least. The hostages totaling 340, now down twenty from the original 360, were located in the mess hall, council hall, and clan dojo—three giant buildings on the east side of the estate where they entered. Between the buildings and wall were gardens which ran parallel with both. They'd used the gardens as cover when they first entered, and now they'd use them ambush their targets.

Sai took point with Atlas behind him, and Delta squad brining up the rear. Their designated building was the clan dojo, located the furthest away on the southeast edge of the estate. The ten operatives blurred through grounds. The shadows from the wall combined with the gardens' silhouettes practically turned them invisible in the night.

Sai caught movement, and his eyes shifted right. Two Hyuuga guards were coming out between the council hall and the dojo. Orange light bathed their silhouettes, providing perfect targets for him despite the darkness. The world slowed as he shouldered the stock, and pivoted towards them still moving.

He inhaled, sighted the first Hyuuga's head, exhaled, and squeezed the trigger.

His weapon made no sound, but the effect was undeniable. The Hyuuga's head snapped to the side, a light sound of bone cracking and blood spraying, before the rest of his body followed collapsing in a heap. The second guard didn't have time to react. Atlas fired his own Windsinger, and the man's head snapped back in a second spray.

Sai shivered with excitement. This weapon was beyond deadly. It could change the way wars were waged forever. It was no wonder Sky Country was destroyed so early in the war. The technology they possessed was terrifying. And ever since Root salvaged the kunai launchers and modified them to fire senbon instead, the accuracy as well as covertness had increased tenfold.

They kept moving, two members of Delta breaking away to grab the bodies and drag them to cover. They reached the dojo, and the group came to a halt behind the gardens while the two ninja disposed of the bodies and linked back up. The building was tricky. It had two sets of doors, one on their side, and the other set on the opposite side. Plus the walk way around the building was no doubt riddled with nightingale boards. Odds were they'd attack from either the roof or the backside facing the southern wall. But it wasn't Sai's problem.

Moving to the edge of the garden, Sai got on his hands and knees and peeked out. That was the beauty of guards. They always checked for silhouettes at eye level, rarely looking at anything lower which allowed Sai to survey the area freely.

Two more guards stood between the clan dojo and the Main Family's mansion. Another was passing by, most likely patrolling the hostage buildings facing into the estate. The problem was the estate was open in the center, like a giant courtyard. No cover, and lot's of open space that was well lit. His eyes flicked to his wrist.

**20:57**

They couldn't wait, they were out of time. Sai re-shouldered his Windsinger and motioned to Atlas. They broke cover, moving at a low, fast pace—Sai on point again and Atlas one pace behind and half step to the right.

They moved silently between the southern wall and the dojo, the shadows created from the lighting of the courtyard bathing the space between the two structures in obscuring darkness. One of the guards glanced their way, and Sai felt a brief moment of anticipation shoot through his limbs. But he remained calm and kept moving towards the man, the guard's night blindness keeping him from seeing beyond the corner of the building and into the shadows.

Sai was two meters from the corner of the dojo when brief cries came from the north wall where the gate was. Zulu squad.

The guards made it two steps before Sai pulled the trigger. But he misled his target and the senbon pierced through his arm. He cried out and turned towards them while activating his Byakugan, his partner activating his own as well. Sai and Atlas never stopped moving, breaking from the shadows and opening fire. Atlas dropped his guard with three shots to the chest. Sai fired once, and the weapon jammed—the single senbon lacking the stopping power to put the target down. The Hyuuga charged at him eyes blazing, and Sai dropped the Windsinger reaching for his tanto. A sharp crack and explosion of bone shards brought the guard tumbling to the ground as Atlas blew his kneecap away. The man opened his mouth to scream but never got the chance as Atlas put two more into his mouth.

Sai paused only to recover the discarded Windsinger while Atlas moved ahead. He caught up to the older Root agent just as he slipped behind the Hyuuga mansion. Still moving, Sai slid the bolt back and tried to dislodge the senbon from the chamber.

"Fuckin' prototype," he muttered finally pulling the needle out and allowing the bolt to slide back.

"Sure, blame the weapon." Atlas said, and Sai knew he was smirking behind his mask.

"Fine, crackshot, you take point." Sai responded gruffly.

They sprinted to the edge of the mansion, crossed the open space again, and entered the western side of the estate. This side housed all the Hyuuga families, divided into two rows of one story houses with a path between them. Just as they were rounding the corner, three Hyuuga guards came into view.

A second stretched between the two groups before they all moved at once.

Atlas pulled the trigger—and his Windsinger clicked. Jam. The Hyuugas wasted no time charging him, trying to overtake him. Just as they were about to strike, he ducked. Behind him Sai's thumb flicked the setting on his Windsinger from single-fire to full-auto, and pulled the trigger down. The Windsinger vibrated lightly in his hands as he swept the weapon across the group of men. All three of them flew back in a cloud of blood, one of them close enough to a house to be pinned to the wall.

Sai's Windsinger clicked, and the bolt snapped open discarding the spent tag. Only a few seconds, and what was left of his fifty senbons had been spent. Another shiver ran through him as he moved past Atlas loading another tag. As he did, he heard Atlas mutter, "Fucking prototype."

Sai allowed one snicker to reach Atlas' ear before checking the time.

**20:58**

"Rooftops," Sai said and Atlas nodded.

They separated, each taking a different row of the houses. Abandoning subtlety, they sprinted and leapt between buildings dealing death to guards they passed over. Halfway down the rows Sai came to a stop before the only two-story building on the western side of the estate. The Hyuuga Elders' mansion. A brief whistle left his lips while he patted the top of his head, and the air moved as Atlas reappeared next to him. They passed the next few seconds quietly as Atlas reloaded his Windsinger.

Once he was done, Sai leapt to the roof of the veranda that wrapped around the mansion. He was thankful for the Hyuuga's steep traditions, trying to breach a second floor window while sticking to the wall would've been a bitch.

Lightly walking across the clay tiles, he came to a stop next to a window and pressed his back to the wall. Sliding over just slightly, he checked the room. Two guards were lounging on beds while another two sat at a small table. The upstairs had been turned into a temporary barrack for the guards. Motioning his hand, Atlas quickly joined and pressed up against the wall beside Sai.

"_Four tangos."_ Sai signaled._ "Two left. Two right."_

Atlas nodded in understanding, and Sai ducked low and deftly moved across the open window. They both held their breaths, waiting for any of the men to alert the others about seeing something.

Nothing.

Removing an explosive tag from his pouch, Atlas snapped it out and stuck it to the cross frame of the window. Sai glanced at his watch one last time.

**20:58:30**

A gurgle and thud followed by a high then low whistle caused Sai to pop his head over the edge of the veranda. Eight green bodies were stacking up at the back door. Zulu squad was in position. Pressing back against the wall, Sai signaled Atlas they were ready.

Everything fell silent. The animals. Insects. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath as the final seconds ticked down.

Sai calmed his breathing and steadied his shaking limbs caused by a new shot of adrenalin. But they wouldn't stop, and he couldn't figure out why until Atlas made the ram sign.

He had no idea what they'd find in this mansion. God did he really hate breaches.

**20:59**

Two breaching tags detonated in sync, the lights inside the mansion going out from the force of the explosions. Cries of shock and pain rang through the house as shards of glass and wood riddled the unsuspecting guards. Sai blurred through the gaping hole first.

Exhale.

Clear right. Tango trapped under debris. Three in the head.

Inhale.

Scan left. Tango stumbling for door. Two in the back, one in the head.

Exhale.

Sai glanced at Atlas' side and saw him finishing off his own target. "Clear!" He yelled and Atlas fell in step behind him as they made for the door. Below him he could hear Zulu crying out "clear" as they finished the kitchen and pushed forward. Throughout the mansion, alerts and orders were being screamed. Now things got messy.

The bedroom door was blown off from the breach tag allowing Sai to move into the hallway. The past month of training in a mock setup of the mansion took over.

Five steps to the bedroom on the right, six to the one on the left.

Sai shot a burst of senbon through the door, unconcerned about hostages, and kicked it open. A guard stood behind the bed staring at his chest in shock, a waterfall of red cascading down his white robes. Sai put another one in his head. "Clear!"

He moved past Atlas as he cracked the door on the left open and tossed a flash tag in. Curses rang out and a loud bang followed. Atlas kicked the door in and lay on the trigger spraying the room. "Clear!"

He didn't move on. Instead he entered the room, and moved to a bathroom that conjoined the next bedroom over. Sai pressed down the hallway alone.

Ten steps to master bedroom on the right. Below multiple voices rang out as they cleared more rooms. More shouting and screaming.

Sai stopped at the double doors to the master bedroom, and reach for the handle. Only for the door at the end of the hall burst open. A Hyuuga appeared eyes blazing and palm thrusting forward. Sai felt like he was moving through mud as he tried to turn and move away, Vengeance identifying the chakra gathered in the man's hand—Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm. There he stood, stuck in a hallway with nowhere to go, with an attack that would easily take up the entire space.

Sai was fucked.

The Hyuuga flew back as he thrust his hand forward, blood spraying across from hip to shoulder as he was pinned to the door behind him. Unfortunately, Sai didn't have the luxury of thanking Atlas for the second save as the Vacuum Palm blasted him through the doors of the master bedroom.

The attack had been severely dampened, but that didn't stop the air from being crushed out of Sai's lungs or the left side of his mask to break off. Disoriented and ears ringing, he tried to get his bearings. The double vision didn't help any. Neither did the five Hyuuga glaring at him.

"Shit."

Two threw kunai forcing him to roll while the other three dove at him. Sai rolled, ripping a flash tag from his pouch and detonating it in his left hand. Six yells echoed through the room—five from blinded Hyuugas with Byakugans activated, and one from Sai whose hand was now a seared blistering mess.

Landing on his back, he swung his Windsinger across the room emptying the entire clip. Two seconds later Atlas came through the door ready lay down even more metal.

"Clear," Sai grunted sitting up clutching his burnt hand. Atlas lowered his Windsinger, and knelt down beside him. "And thanks for the save."

"Sorry I wasn't sooner," Atlas replied digging through his pouch and pulling out a tube of all purpose anti-septic/numbing cream and bandages. They were silent while Atlas made quick work of his hand.

"Is that alright," Atlas asked when he finished.

Sai grimaced as he flexed his hand a few times. "It'll do. It's still functional, and I can push past the pain."

Standing, Atlas offered Sai a hand and helped him up.

"Any sign of the elders," Sai asked checking his Windsinger. Realizing it was empty he resealed it—they only had two tags each. Atlas shook his head and Sai checked the time.

**20:59:37**

"We need to regroup then," Sai said. "Something tells me Zulu didn't find them either."

Atlas nodded. "Friendlies coming down," he yelled at the top of the stairs before leading Sai down.

The bottom of the staircase opened to a foyer. Glass shards and plaster chips covered the floor as well as a few Hyuuga bodies in growing pools of blood. Stepping over one, Sai and Atlas followed the voices through a doorway into what looked like a meeting room.

"Any sign of the targets," Sai asked.

"Nothing. Just a bunch of guards," the captain replied.

Sai grit his teeth and looked around the room. This didn't make any sense. They had confirmed sightings of the Elders this morning. And yet the bodies in that grave were registered to the Elders, which had been dead for at least a month. Warnings started going off in Sai's head, and anxiety exploded in his chest forcing his eyes to scan the room. Something was coming.

The ground rumbled for a moment before the floor swung open, sending the shinobi standing over the secret doors flying into the walls and ceiling. Before gravity could take effect, spears of wood burst from the darkness and skewered half of Zulu squad. Cries of surprise and pain only lasted a brief moment before exploding tags unfurled from the tips of the spears. Sai's pupils dilated as the fuses lit. Then a hand gripped the back of his shirt and yanked him through a window.

A bright light blinded him, followed a deafening roar that split his ears, and a crushing force rippled across his body smashing him back. He turned his head and raised his hands, only to feel the skin blister from the searing heat. He hit the ground and rolled limply several times before coming to a stop, but the world kept spinning.

He tried to breathe, only to be rewarded with a dry burning throat and screaming ribs. He coughed, and something wet splattered on the ground. Blood. He tried breathing again, ignoring the pain and realized his right lung had collapsed. Perfect. His left hand was shaking from the pain of the old burn and the new ones. He tried standing, but couldn't—the disorientation and ringing in his ears too much. A tingling sensation in his left thigh drew his attention, and he found a large splinter of wood sticking out. He pulled it out, a long hiss escaping his teeth followed by a small geyser of crimson. His only good hand started searching through his pack, looking for bandages and Quikclot powder while his eyes scanned the area.

Before him a massive inferno raged. The remnants of the mansion collapsed on itself, burning away any traces of what had happened inside. The best men Root had to offer, his men, all gone in a single flash. And only he survived…

A strangled cough had Sai snapping his head to the right so heard he nearly blacked out. Someone else made it? Thrown from the blast maybe?

Sai tried to stand up, but failed again. So he crawled the few meters between them. It wasn't until he rolled him over that he knew who it was.

"Atlas?!"

Sai's moved his hands as quickly as he could, which felt like mud yet again. His eyes scanned the man's body—he was a mess. His torso and arms were covered in cuts and larger shards of debris. His left leg looked to have second and third degree burns. The bottom half of his mask had cracked off, and his breathing was labored and sounded obstructed.

"Shit," Sai muttered as he started to pull out the smaller pieces and pour the Quikclot powder on them. "Shit!"

"I wouldn't worry about it boy." Atlas said quietly. He coughed, and a red mist blew from his mouth.

"Shut up," Sai said trying to steady his hands. It wasn't the pain causing it. Fucking emotions.

A strain laugh escaped his lips, followed by a gurgle and cough. "Looks like you'll have to find someone else to save your ass from now on."

"Dammit, Atlas, why'd you do it?" Sai growled out looking out across the courtyard. Where the hell was Bones? "You broke protocol!"

"Fuck…protocol." Atlas wheezed out. "You think I listened to it…when Danzo-sama was in charge?" He chuckled again, this time bubbles appearing in the blood around his mouth. "Prick said I was…compromised."

"You are!" Sai shouted, but his voice failed him and began to shake. Fucking emotions!

"Hehe…says the pot to the…kettle."

"Why," Sai asked pulling his broken mask off, only to reveal the broken mask of his soul underneath. Eyes dry of tears for so long welling up as he stared down at the old Root operative.

"You honestly think…I could look Naruto in the—" Another spray of blood erupted from his mouth.

"Just stop talking, and save your strength," Sai said quickly, pouring the Quikclot wherever he could. His shaking hands spread most of it around uselessly. Fucking emotions! "Bones will be here any second now."

"Had to save you," Atlas said softly. His breathing was growing shallow. "For Naruto."

"Just shut up!"

"You'll tell her…won't you?" Atlas said shifting his head slightly. "Tell her…daddy died doing…"

"Fuck, Atlas! Stay with me!" Sai said pulling out an adrenalin shot and jamming it in his chest.

Atlas took a deep, ragged breath and looked at Sai. Even behind the mask Sai knew his eyes held confusion. "Why are you trying…so hard?"

Sai shook his head trying to rid his tears, and applied some bandages to a nasty gash. "You think I could look Naruto in the eyes if I let you die?"

Sai put a roll of tape in his mouth and pulled out a, needle, tubing, and unsealed a blood pack—luckily the two shared the same blood type. It took a few tries, his jerking hands making it difficult, but eventually Sai had the I.V. constructed, inserted, and taped up. Lifting his head, Sai then put the packet behind Atlas and laid him back down.

"Wasting supplies boy," Atlas whispered. "Save it for…the…others."

"Idiot," Sai muttered. "We're the only ones that made it."

"Sai…" Atlas said softly, and from behind his mask a trail of tears ran down the sides of his face. "You can do it. You can…start a new life…"

Sai's lips trembled, and his breath shook violently as he reached up and pulled the rest of Atlas' mask away. "I know," he said. His eyes burned from the tears or the smoke, he couldn't tell.

Fucking emotions!

"After all, you did it." He choked back a sob as the guilt smashed over him. "I shouldn't have asked you to come back!"

The weathered eyes of the Root shinobi shifted from Sai's face to the dark sky above, "It's an honor to die for my village…and for a comrade."

"You're not gonna die!" Sai said, resting his head in his hand. "Not you. I won't allow it!"

"This is goodbye…boy," Atlas said slowly. His breathing was wet and bubbled far too much. "Give my regards…to the new Hokage…Just wish…could've seen it with…my own eyes."

"Atlas?" Sai asked.

His breathing grew shallow again.

"Atlas!"

He closed his eyes.

"Atlas!" Sai yelled putting his head on the man's chest before screaming, "Teuchi!"

A faint laugh caused Sai to look up and see the corner's of his mouth quirk ever so slightly. "Proto…col…Sai…"

"Fuck protocol!" Sai screamed. "FUCK PROTOCOL!"

"**I guess two managed to survive my little welcoming gift."**

Sai's head jerked to the left as he drew his tanto, and saw Zetsu shifting out of the ground.

Zetsu grinned watching Sai try to take a defensive stance. **"Well, one now I suppose. Don't worry though, you'll see him soon enough."**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry again for the slight delay guys. This chapter sort of fought me every step of the way. I'm happy with it though, and despite the last minute decision to add the twist at the end I think it works. Let me know what you guys think. Also, the next update might take a week. School is getting busy so I'm pressed for time, but I'll get it done as soon as I can!**


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